Jed E. Rose, Ph.D., renowned smoking researcher and co-inventor of the nicotine patch, will visit the University at Buffalo Thursday to discuss new methods for smoking cessation.

On a sunny, warm Wednesday morning, students from Lewiston-Porter joined thousands of others from public and parochial schools across Niagara County to mark the start of the 2014-15 school year.

As summer winds down, children across Erie County are heading back to school and once again yellow school buses will dot our highways.

The American Automobile Association has begun its annual "School's Open - Drive Carefully" campaign to remind drivers to engage in safe behavior in school zones and residential neighborhoods.

Niagara-Wheatfield area students headed back to school Wednesday morning. Aside from an accident involving an N-W school bus, opening day in local public and private schools seemed to go smoothly.

Not in freezing water, as was the case when more than 300 new NU students completed the "ALS Ice Bucket Challenge" last weekend, but rather in the service-based mission that defines the Catholic and Vincentian institution.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has announced the rollout of "K-Solar," a landmark program under the $1 billion "NY-Sun" initiative, to help public school districts throughout New York lower their energy costs with clean, local power. The program will provide schools with the tools, technical expertise and access to financing to make solar a realistic and affordable option for K-12 schools.

To date, a total of 40 school districts have registered to participate in the program, representing nearly 200 schools in communities across the state.

Five new distinguished student scholarship recipients will be showcased at the annual NCCC Foundation Scholarship Gala Saturday, Oct. 18, at the Niagara Falls Culinary Institute.

This award is the most prestigious scholarship offered by the NCCC Foundation to incoming freshman.

The Rev. James J. Maher, C.M., president of Niagara University, completed the "ALS Ice Bucket Challenge," along with a couple hundred NU students, at Niagara Field.

As the start of the school year approaches and many children need physicals and updated immunizations to go back to school, Fidelis Care reminds parents that free or low-cost health insurance coverage is available to almost all children through the New York state-sponsored program Child Health Plus.

John M. Canty Jr., M.D., the Albert and Elizabeth Rekate Professor of Medicine in the University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences - UB's chief of cardiovascular medicine - has been appointed to the Heart, Lung and Blood Program Project Review Committee of the National Institutes of Health. He will serve on the committee for four years.

The Lewiston Porter Board of Education held two consecutive public hearings on student conduct Tuesday evening, Aug. 26, with no residents attending.

AAA is kicking off its annual "School's Open - Drive Carefully" campaign as back-to-school season is about to be in full swing. The campaign, launched nationwide in 1946, reminds drivers to engage in safe behavior in school zones and residential neighborhoods in an effort to help reduce the number of school-related pedestrian injuries and fatalities.

Two Niagara University faculty members were recognized for the outstanding quality of their teaching. Ed Hutton, assistant professor of finance, was presented with the 2014 Excellence in Teaching Award, while Stefanie Wichhart, Ph.D., associate professor history, received the Innovation in Teaching Award.

Congressman Brian Higgins, City of Niagara Falls Mayor Paul Dyster, Niagara Falls City School District Superintendent Cynthia Bianco and other community partners gathered to officially celebrate the opening of a new playground at Gill Creek Park.

The Wheatfield Business Association awarded four scholarships during its May meeting at Westbys Pub & Grille. The 2014 scholarships were presented to Emily Belote, Joel Congi, Hannah Carrier and Jillian Wagner.

The Niagara River Region Chamber of Commerce and the Lewiston-Porter Academy of International Business & Finance board of advisors will host a business "Blender" networking event Thursday, Sept. 18, from 6-7:30 p.m. at Niagara Falls Country Club in Lewiston.

Niagara University is going to great lengths to ensure its freshman class of students remembers its first week on campus for a long time.

Eight individuals affiliated with Niagara University's ROTC program, including six cadets, spent a week in June assisting the American Legion Boys State program at SUNY Morrisville.

Niagara University's Office of Continuing Education is accepting registrations for its fall schedule of courses. Professional studies, certificates and credit-free classes are offered in person and online.

The Niagara University women's volleyball team volunteered their time Thursday at Niagara Catholic Jr./Sr. High School. The girls, joined by assistant volleyball coach Eric Buggs, helped with various tasks to get the school ready for its Sept. 4 opening.

The Niagara Junior Purple Eagles Gary Hill Memorial Scholarship committee has announced John Conti, Joseph Corio, Thomas Corrao, Joseph Dobmeier, Lucus Hurtt, Joseph Langer, Michael Laurendi and Jake Schoelles as the 2014 scholarship recipients.

If your class schedule has replaced summer novels, and you're packing the family car, it can mean only one thing: it's back to school time.

Sacred Heart Villa School's motto is "Where Learning Begins."

Niagara County Community College President James P. Klyczek announced Wednesday that a tentative agreement has been approved by the NCCC board of trustees, which was ratified by the college faculty association membership on Aug. 19.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced the recipients of $340 million in full-day pre-kindergarten funding for 81 school districts and community-based organizations statewide, opening full-day classroom slots to nearly 37,000 children.

The funding, included in the 2014-15 state budget, is the first installment as part of the state's commitment to invest $1.5 billion over five years to build a statewide universal full-day pre-kindergarten program.

Assemblyman John Ceretto announced the Niagara Falls City School District is receiving a $289,131 grant to fund pre-kindergarten. This grant comes in addition to the millions in pre-k funding Ceretto helped secure during budget negotiations this year.

Elks Lodge No. 346 Niagara Falls assisted Artpark & Company in presenting the fourth annual Fairy House Festival this summer at Artpark. The Elks have been the presenting sponsor of the annual event, which draws families and visitors each spring.

Niagara University is putting a new spin on thought-provoking presentations.

Niagara County Community College has long supported the Lewiston Kiwanis Club and the Niagara County Peach Festival. Now that NCCC's Culinary Institute is up and running - and garnering praise for its offerings - the timing was right for the downtown Niagara Falls campus to sponsor the annual Peach Festival peach recipe contest taste-off.

Grand Island High School students took home the People's Choice award and a third-place yellow ribbon from the Chalk Walk competition at the Lewiston Art Festival Saturday.

During the Monday evening meeting of the Grand Island Board of Education, trustees heard reports on a variety of topics, including some important staffing changes. Dr. Andrés Arroyo is leaving his position as assistant principal of Grand Island High School to become principal at Newfane High School. Arroyo has served Grand Island for the past seven years and earned his Ph.D. in educational leadership and policy from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

His resignation comes close behind that of Assistant Principal Michael Lauria, who left his job earlier this summer to become principal at Springville High School. Administrators acted quickly to search for and to hire replacements for Arroyo and Lauria, and high school Principal Dan Quartley introduced the new staff to the Board of Education at Monday's meeting. They are T. Michael Carter and Corey Gray.

According to US2020, there will be 1.2 million job openings in the U.S. in the science, technology, engineering, and math fields by 2018, with a significant shortage of qualified applicants to fill them.

The Niagara County Community College Foundation Inc. has elected its 2014-15 board of directors. Jerald I. Wolfgang of Lewiston was named chairman of the NCCC Foundation board.

Thanks to a successful GardenFest this summer, three students have earned scholarships from the Lewiston Garden Club.

Time Warner Cable has announced that all of its 18,000 cable technicians around the country have been deployed with technology that allows them to receive AMBER Alerts when they are in the area of an active alert, and training to be vigilant and contact law enforcement if they see the abducted child.

Congressman Brian Higgins recently presented three local students with the Congressional Award Medal.

Dr. Anna McNab, assistant professor of management at Niagara University, has been appointed secretary treasurer of AIS SIGHCI, the special interest group on human-computer interaction that is affiliated with the Association for Information Systems, the highest level organization for information systems professionals around the world.

The Village of Youngstown Recreation Department summer drama camp will present the play "Journey of the Noble Gnarble" Saturday at 4 p.m. at the Red Brick Schoolhouse gymnasium. Admission is free.

Niagara University is among the best and most environmentally friendly colleges in the entire Northeast, according to The Princeton Review.

Niagara University is set to offer a 20-day backpacking expedition through Vietnam May 17-June 5, 2015.