This pit bull puppy gave a slurp of approval to Niagara County SPCA employee Lauren Zaninovich after unofficially "christening" a new improvement donated to the facility. (photo by Susan Mikula Campbell)

WBBZ-TV will introduce "The Fred Jackson Show" to the local program roster beginning Monday, Sept. 10, at 6:30 p.m. Jackson, star running back for the Buffalo Bills, has been a member of the team since 2007.

Michael Dallessandro, supervisor of transportation at Niagara-Wheatfield School District, joined area law enforcement representatives at AAA headquarters in Williamsville recently to remind the public about staying vigilant on the roads now that schools are open.

As one of the hottest summers on record draws to a close, county, local and state officials officially dedicated a new resource designed to help children in central and western Niagara County cool down.

It's being called Wheatfield's "Off the Beaten Path" Farmers & Specialty Items Community Market, tucked into the parking lot at Town Hall, 2800 Church Road.

Anu and Komal Chandan, M.D., Russell Hurlburt and John Percy have been named co-chairs of The 2013 Premier, Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center's annual black tie dinner and entertainment gala.

It was another beautiful summer evening, Thursday, Aug. 16, when four civic groups met at Five Senses Park on Ward Road to enjoy Wheatfield Lions Club's annual steak roast.

The party isn't over in the Town of Niagara.

This Saturday, Wegmans on Military Road will offer its own salute to the town's bicentennial celebration with its version of a "Town of Niagara BBQ" to finish off the summer season.

For the second time since he was elected, Wheatfield Supervisor Bob Cliffe sought approval Monday for expanding the supervisor's term of office to four years and limiting each supervisor to a maximum of two terms.

Once again, his request for a second on his motion was met by silence from the members of the Town Board.

Cliffe said he had tried to change the individual board members' minds on the matter since he brought it up in his first year in office.

Highwire artist Nik Wallenda returned to Niagara Falls on Thursday, Aug. 23, to update the media about his plans to open a daredevil museum. It was Wallenda's first trip back to the area since he crossed over the falls to Canada on June 15.

The SPCA is usually all about the animals - like Gabby, shown in the photo at right, taking a cooling dip in a plastic pool.

The third time is certainly a charm for the Eternal Brothers Motorcycle Club. The club recently hosted the third annual Elizabeth Bondi Memorial Bike Run in support of the programs and services of Niagara Hospice.

Mike & Nate give new meaning to the phrase, "God works in mysterious ways."

Over 50 days, the two churchgoing college buddies - Mike Buonaiuto, 22, and Nate Frankoski, 26 - biked 2,500 miles to raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project.

Attendance was down a bit this year due to intermittent rain, but organizers of the Smokin' Eagles International BBQ Festival reported a lot of happy customers last weekend at Gateway Harbor in Tonawanda.

Church services, a rock climbing wall, live animals, games, music, demonstrations and plenty of food - the 34th annual Wheatfield Family Picnic at Fairmount Park this Sunday, Aug. 19, has it all.

Mia Skinner has given new meaning to the phrase "pop art."

The owner of Soda Can Earrings, Skinner and her business made a return visit this weekend to the Lewiston Art Festival, the event she said where her business all started.

The Town of Wheatfield Republican Club will hold its 42nd annual family picnic from 1:30 to 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 12, at the Wheatfield Lions Club picnic pavilion on Ward Road next to the Wheatfield American Legion.

Wheatfield often has too much water, especially off Krueger Road. North Tonawanda has two huge, unused pipes going under River Road to the Niagara River.

Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta confirmed the importance of the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station on his visit here Thursday.

Now in its eighth year, In Good Company Productions will perform "Once On This Island Jr." in Tonawanda at the Miller Bandshell in Niawanda Park this summer.

The Town of Niagara held its annual senior picnic at the Calvin K. Richards Senior/Youth Activity Center in Veterans Memorial Park.

The Wheatfield Farmers Market celebrated Christmas in July. Santa, AKA Wheatfield resident and County Legislature Chairman Bill Ross, braved the heat and arrived to pass out small gifts to a crowd of adoring children.

Niagara County Community College celebrated its 50th anniversary last weekend. Part of the celebration was Balloons Over Niagara. Although contrary wind conditions kept the balloons grounded for most of the celebration, these visitors were thrilled to see the colorful giants rising on NCCC's Sanborn campus.

The Cornell Cooperative Extension of Niagara County has always worked to better the community through local environmental and health research education.

Participants caught and released 341 fish at the Town of Niagara annual Kids Fishing Derby at Veterans Memorial Park.

Sean Conlin, a former Niagara County 4-Her from Lockport, recently took third place in the Chuck Wagon Challenge to benefit the Double H Ranch in Lake Luzerne, N.Y.

Niagara County Community College will celebrate its 50th anniversary this weekend with plenty of balloons rising into the sky, as well as three days of activities and entertainment.

Balloons Over Niagara returns to the campus, July 27 to 29, repeating the excitement of 25 hot air balloons taking to the sky in 2008 to celebrate the county's bicentennial.

Jennifer and John Cooper present an American flag to Michael Beam, Curator of Collections and Exhibitions at the Castellani Art Museum of Niagara University. The flag, which has 15 stars, is a reproduction of the flag in use during the War of 1812.

The eighth Sanborn-Lewiston Farm Festival, an annual festival held on Sanborn-Lewiston Farm Museum grounds known for its tractor shows, family festivities and rich farm history offerings, is fast approaching.

Youngsters enjoyed "Tie Die Day," presented by the Town of Niagara Recreation Department, in Veterans Memorial Park on Lockport Road.

William Ross, center, chairman of the Niagara County Legislature, reads a proclamation for the eighth annual Mediterranean Festival, which took place July 13, 14 and 15 at St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church on Saunders Settlement Road.

The Wheatfield Farmers' Market will celebrate its second annual "Christmas in July" from 3 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 25.

Anne Gonzalez has been a resident of the new ElderWood Assisted Living at Crestwood for about three months now, and she loves it.

Four young women celebrated a milestone recently at the Niagara Career and Technical Education Center. All are teenage mothers and have been taking their classes at the Alternative Parenting Program taught by Peg Behnke.

Even Elvis (Shawn Klush) was on hand to wish the Town of Niagara a happy birthday last weekend.

Joe and Laurie Lettieri refer to it as "Jordan's sign."

The big yellow "Child With Autism Area" sign stands at the entrance to Lakewood Drive in the Ashwood subdivision off Schultz Road.

On behalf of the Greater Niagara Falls Church of God, Pastor Joe Whitman has invited the community to its annual church picnic, Sunday, July 1, to be held on church grounds at 2334 Lockport Road, Sanborn.

The highlight of the Town of Niagara's bicentennial celebration arrives this weekend with a parade on Military Road followed by two days of activities at Veterans Memorial Park on Lockport Road.

The Town of Wheatfield Focus Group presented to a public forum ideas for the town in the future as relating to agriculture, economic development, disaster planning, town center and the veterans memorial.

It was like stepping back 200 years when the U.S. Brig Niagara sailed into the Niagara River on an unexpected visit late Tuesday afternoon.