Current News

On Tuesday, Western New York lawmakers honored the military service of Army Staff Sgt. David Bellavia in the New York State Capitol. Bellavia, who will be awarded the Medal of Honor next week by President Donald Trump, was recognized for his accomplishments while serving in the U.S. Army.

American Jack Hughes and Finland's Kaapo Kakko headline the class of the future NHL stars who will converge on Rogers Arena in Vancouver, Canada, as NBC Sports presents live, exclusive coverage of the first round of the 2019 NHL Draft on Friday at 8 p.m. ET on NBCSN. Coverage begins at 7:30 p.m. with "NHL Live."

Grammy Award-winning rock band Switchfoot announced "Their Fantastic Traveling Music Show" is coming to 26 cities this fall. Produced locally by Kingdom Bound Ministries, the tour will visit Rochester's Roberts Wesleyan College on Friday, Oct. 18. Tickets will go on sale later this week.

Two Queens Production and the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center have teamed up to bring the first "Freedom Day" to Niagara Falls. Residents and the surrounding communities are cordially invited to a celebration of Juneteenth - a day of family fun on the grounds of the Heritage Center, neighboring the Amtrak Station. Festivities are from 1-5 p.m. Saturday at 825 Depot Ave. West, Niagara Falls.

High school football coach Rob Mendez will be honored with the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance at The 2019 ESPYS Presented by Capital One. ESPN President Jimmy Pitaro shared the news with Mendez on this video. The award is given to a deserving member of the sporting world who has overcome great obstacles through perseverance and determination. Mendez was born with tetra-amelia syndrome, a rare disorder that caused him to be born without arms or legs.

Rear seat occupants who fail to buckle up are three times more likely to be killed, according to AAA New York State. In 2017, 34 unbelted rear seat occupants ages 16-plus were killed and 2,600 were injured. This accounts for one injury every three hours across New York state.

Cashless tolling on the Thruway will be systemwide by the end of 2020, according to the latest reports from Gov. Cuomo's office. With some 267 million motorists traveling the thruway each year, AAA Western and Central New York supports this move toward a more efficient tolling system.

The Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, on behalf of the Oliver G. & Sarah Sloan Bauman Fund for the Arts, announced awards totaling more than $47,000 to six Western New York nonprofit organizations for the 2019 granting cycle.

The Buffalo Sabres on Monday announced the team's 2019 preseason schedule. The team will play six games, including two home games at KeyBank Center.

Funtime Presents, Back2Back and Artpark will present Kip Moore, Mitchell Tenpenny and Tyler Rich in concert at 6 p.m. Friday, Aug. 9, as part of the "Coors Light Concerts" series in the Artpark Amphitheater. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, June 21.

For those interested in learning more about the different types of bariatric surgery and whether one may be right, Trinity Bariatric Surgery will hold a free seminar at 6 p.m. Thursday, June 28, in Room 249 at Mount St. Mary's Hospital, 5300 Military Road, Lewiston.

Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino will once again shake with the power, energy and excitement of professional mixed martial arts when King of the Cage returns to the Seneca Niagara Events Center at 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21. Tickets go on sale at noon on Friday.

On Monday, the New York State Senate passed the Driver's License Access and Privacy Act, also known as the "Green Light Bill," sponsored by Democrat Sen. Luis Sepúlveda. A press release said this move "will restore the right to obtain a license, regardless of immigration status, that existed prior to 2001.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on Monday announced the New York State Thruway Authority Board of Directors approved the selection of the design-build team that will complete the installation of cashless tolling on the Thruway systemwide by the end of 2020. The $355.3 million investment will transform the Thruway system for the approximately 267 million motorists who travel the superhighway each year.

Those who would like to learn to have brief conversations with deaf/hard-of-hearing individuals who are American Sign Language users can take a class through Independent Living of Niagara County. The eight-week course of instruction will be presented by experienced ASL teacher Jeanette Grimaldi at ILNC's Haeberle Plaza office at 746 Portage Road, north of Pine Avenue, in Niagara Falls.

"Make Music Buffalo" will return for its fourth year with what organizers called "a wild and wonderful mix of over a dozen free outdoor musical events" on Friday, June 21.

The Buffalo Sabres on Monday announced the team's schedule for its annual summer development camp, presented by BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York.

Beach volleyball stars April Ross and Alix Klineman, the No. 1 ranked women's team on the U.S. tour (and fifth overall in the world), will represent Team Americas in the Aurora Games, the inaugural all-women's sports and entertainment festival to be held at the Times Union Center in Albany on Aug. 20-25.

The nation's largest two-day food festival, Taste of Buffalo presented by Tops, returns Saturday, July 13 (11 a.m. to 9 p.m.), and Sunday, July 14 (11 a.m. to 7 p.m.).

Carol Anders and the Barker Parents Music Boosters received the Robert J. Uplinger Award, the highest service award given by New York-Bermuda Lions Multiple District 20, at the Barker Lions Installation dinner.

The Riviera Theatre presents "BJ Thomas: Christmas & Hits" at 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 21.

The Niagara Falls Music Hall of Fame is accepting nomination/applications for the 2019 induction until the end of June. Hard copies of completed forms and supplemental material must be received or postmarked no later than June 30. Criteria and forms are available through its Facebook page, via email at ​[email protected], or by contacting President Peter Paonessa Jr. by phone at 716-731-5584.

Researchers in the University at Buffalo School of Management have developed a solution to manage cloud-computing resources more cost-effectively.

Taylor Swift's seventh studio album, "Lover," has already set a new Apple Music record ... and it's not even out yet!

J. Fitzgerald Group has selected five nonprofit organizations with a focus on helping underserved or underprivileged children to receive free advertising and marketing services as part of Western New York's only CreateAthon event.

The Niagara Falls Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution is collecting gift cards from Tim Hortons, Tops and Wegmans to be distributed to homeless veterans through the Homeless Veterans Resource Center in Buffalo.

One of music's most renowned trailblazers and the top-selling female country artist of all-time, Shania Twain, is returning to the Las Vegas Strip with Shania Twain "Let's Go!" The Vegas Residency, opening at Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino on Friday, Dec. 6.

The New York Power Authority will enhance Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's Smart Street Lighting NY program to include a maintenance service option for interested municipalities.

For decades, "Big Tobacco" has sold African American smokers on menthol-flavored cigarettes through targeted marketing campaigns. That's among the reasons why, in the U.S., black smokers who prefer menthols are 12% less likely to quit smoking compared to non-menthol users, according to the results of a newly published study.

Monday's national average price for a gallon of gasoline is $2.69, down 6 cents from last week. One year ago, the price was $2.89. The New York state average is $2.87 - down 3 cents from last week. A year ago, the state average was $3.05.

The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, in collaboration with the BPO diversity council, the Central Terminal Restoration Corp. and New York State Sen. Timothy Kennedy, will present a free one-day East Side Festival celebrating the cultural heritage of the East Side neighborhood of Buffalo and the 90th anniversary of the Central Terminal, the historic Art Deco landmark railroad station nestled on Buffalo's East Side.

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos announced late last week that a successful CleanSweepNY collection was held this spring in Gowanda, Warsaw and Lockport. It was part of a targeted initiative in DEC's Region 9 office, which includes Allegany, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Erie, Niagara and Wyoming counties.

The Lewiston Garden Club managed to avoid the rain Saturday morning and kick off the 2019 GardenFest with the annual butterfly release.

Leonard Cornelius "Leo" VanderVoort, 93, loving husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather of Grand Island, died on June 5, 2019, with his family at his side.

Viola R. Hood Achkar of Grand Island entered into eternal rest June 9, 2019, at the age 89.

For the first time, New York state has moved up its primary election day three months, from September to June.

Grand Island Father's Day Mary Dunbar-Daluisio Memorial Lawnmower Race and Kevin Doring Memorial 5K Walk/Run and Car Show will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, June 16, at 3957 West River Road (near Long Road).

Residents along the West River will soon receive a letter from the state detailing additional mowing that was previously planned along the West River Shoreline Trail.

Cancer is something close to Lindsey Sterner's heart.

St. John's Episcopal Church will hold its annual Strawberry Fest from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday, June 22, on the church grounds on Main Street in Youngstown.