Travelers from Mongolia visited the Town of Niagara Town Hall last week. From left are Mongolian Olympic champions Naidan Tuvshinbayar (judo) and Munkhsailhan Usukhbayar (wrestling) Town of Niagara Supervisor Steve Richards; and Pagva Bira, Ph.D., chairman of the National Authority Police Force (Khuch) Bayanzurkh District, Mongolia.

The 10th annual USPA Red Brick Bench Press Championship drew 135 weightlifters to Buffalo's Connecticut Street Armory last Saturday, Feb. 16, to raise funds for the Friends and Family of Western New York Military.

Country music singer Scotty McCreery got up close and personal with some of the Aquarium of Niagara's biggest stars on Friday, Feb. 15. McCreery was in town for a performance at the Rapids Theater, which marked the second stop on his Weekend Road Trip tour.

What do bingo, candy and a pharmacy have in common?

Not much, unless they are in the hands of Christopher Sauls, pharmacist at Summit Park Pharmacy in Wheatfield, as he works his audience of senior citizens.

Pizazz recently celebrated its 25th anniversary. The salon is located at 8962 Porter Road, Niagara Falls.

Sanborn resident Stephanie E. Petrie was among a contingent of Canisius students who did something that very few Americans are permitted to do legally: She spent five weeks living and learning in the Republic of Cuba.

Hon. Michael Tucker, mayor of Lockport and acting chairman of the NCIDA, and Niagara County Legislator Kathryn Vance present a proclamation from the Niagara County Legislature to Dr. Kathy Casacci (center) to celebrate the grand opening on Feb. 1 of Wheatfield Family Dentistry.

On Friday, the Niagara USA Chamber announced its award winners for the Chamber Honors Gala on March 22. Honorees include Nik Wallenda, the Rev. Joseph Levesque, Dr. James Klyczek, Certo Brothers and Timothy Mulvey of Mulvey Construction. Wallenda will also serve as keynote speaker for the event.

Some of the 64 Pomeranians rescued from squalid conditions in Lockport over the weekend started leaving the SPCA of Niagara for new homes Wednesday.

John Jr. and Frances Herstek are still each other's valentines.

While celebrity marriages today sometimes can be measured in days and weeks, the Wheatfield couple will celebrate 71 years together on Feb. 7.

While on his second deployment in Afghanistan, U.S. Marine Cpl. Paul Schaus was left a double amputee after stepping on a landmine during a firefight with insurgents in Helmand Province, Afghanistan on June 5, 2009.

Congratulations to the Niagara-Wheatfield boys varsity swimming and diving team on its third consecutive Niagara Frontier League Championship.

Ever wonder what it would be like to smack somebody with a pie like in the old slapstick comedies?

The Niagara-Wheatfield Varsity and JV girls' basketball teams held a fundraiser basketball game on Jan. 25 to support the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America. The girls sold donation cards, wristbands and collected donations and raised a total of $1,600.

An open roof hatch and freezing weather combined last weekend to burst water valves and flood the old Summit Park Mall. A Niagara County Sheriff's Office patrol doing an area check at the mall early Sunday noticed water coming from the old Steve & Jerry's location.

Anthony, CEO of a commercial real estate agency in Raleigh, N.C., also noted that he currently is negotiating with two parties on the possible sale of the mall, which closed in 2009 except for exterior stores.

Mall owner Jim Anthony said Tuesday that damage estimates are still being completed, but will be considerably less than originally reported.

The Town of Niagara Active Hose Volunteer Fire Co. held its annual installation meeting on Jan. 19.

Kyle Jung, a senior at Niagara-Wheatfield and Dan Ruble, a senior from Wilson, took first place at the Niagara Frontier Automobile Dealers' AutoTech Competition on Jan. 19 at Erie Community College.

Niagara County lawmakers are tasking a new government panel with devising shared services and consolidation agreements between the county and municipal governments with an eye toward cutting costs and red tape.

Niagara Cerebral Palsy, a non-profit agency providing high-quality care to children and adults with developmental disabilities, has announced that John J. M. Reardon was promoted to executive director and CEO. The agency also announced that Salvatore M. Passanese, Ph.D., has been elected president of the board of directors.

The Niagara Aerospace Museum has hit some turbulence in recent years, bouncing to several different locations as it attempted to showcase some 100 years of local aviation history.

The K-Kids (Kiwanis Kids) of West Street Elementary School is a group of 15 fifth-graders who are taking on the responsibility and leadership of running their club as they plan and participate in community/school service projects.

Students and staff at the Niagara Career and Technical Education Center decided to make the holidays brighter for those who are less fortunate.

His eyes wide with panic, he darted from person to person in the room trying to find someone, anyone, who could take him away from this scary, noisy place. His raggedy, overgrown black coat was dull, and he obviously hadn't been eating - his frame was little more than skin and bone.

Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center greeted its first baby of 2013 at 8:46 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 2, when Kelly Freiermuth, right, of Niagara Falls gave birth to daughter Brystol Lynn Freiermuth.

Staff and volunteers from the Niagara Hospice Alliance are gearing up for the 2013 spring bouquet sale. The sale will run March 4-10 with pre-sale bouquets being ordered now and throughout the month of February.

Niagara County Community College is the recipient of four grants that will aid it in expanding community-based partnerships and programming, according to President James P. Klyczek. The grants will help NCCC develop community, school-based or professional development programs in suicide prevention, working with at-risk youth, Landmarks in American History and career and technical education.

"This series of grants will to greatly enhance NCCC's connection to the community and our outreach to schoolchildren, young adults and educators alike," said Klyczek.

Adopting healthy skin habits in 2013 could save your life. Thousands of people in the United States die each year from skin cancer, a highly preventable and treatable disease. Skin cancer can affect anyone, regardless of age or skin color, which is why making skin health a priority should be on everyone's list of New Year's resolutions.

With an easy to remember acronym, S.K.I.N., The Skin Cancer Foundation is proposing four simple steps for keeping skin cancer prevention and skin health top of mind in 2013 and beyond: Skip the tanning bed, keep up with skin exams, ignore the myths, and never skimp on sun protection.

When you hear the words "first responder," you probably think of someone like a firefighter, police officer or an EMT, or even the Red Cross. But there is another type of first responder who helps people affected by disaster try to put their lives back together.

Local government and education leaders in the Niagara-Wheatfield Tribune circulation area were contacted to find out their opinions on happenings, both good and bad, in their areas for 2012 and what is ahead for 2013.

Two Niagara-Wheatfield athletes recently signed letters of intent for colleges.

Anne and Dr. Richard Sawicki organize items for a silent auction that will be held at the 2013 Premier, Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center's annual black tie dinner and entertainment gala.

The Niagara-Wheatfield Board of Education recognized outstanding student athletes from the fall sports program at its Dec. 19 meeting.

Winners of the Niagara-Wheatfield Tribune's Christmas Coloring Contest gathered Saturday at Kinetic Kitchen and BathPlanet, 1655 Fashion Outlet Blvd., the company that sponsored the contest this year.

Town of Lewiston Supervisor Steve Reiter, second from left, presented a $16,000 check to Linda Jackson, curator of the Sanborn-Lewiston Farm Museum of the Sanborn Area Historical Society, at the society's election meeting.

This time of year, it's not unusual to see lighted Santas, reindeer and snowmen decorating people's yards.

Danny Maerten's house on Niagara Road in Bergholz has a dinosaur.

If there's one studio that can turn a holiday show into an "Xtravaganza," it's Adell's School of Dance.

As part of yearly tradition, Adams Volunteer Fire Co. will hold its "Santa Claus Drive" by visiting neighborhoods of its fire district.

PHOTOS: The annual Christmas Senior Dance at the Wheatfield Community Center last Saturday drew a large crowd for a turkey dinner, dancing and prize drawings.

If you're the type of person whose Christmas spirit doesn't start to glow until the Grinch fibs to Cindy Lou Who, Charlie Brown props up his scraggly tree, Ralphie gets warned about shooting his eye out, or the bell rings on George Bailey's tree, Theatre in the Mist has just the ticket for you.

Dr. Stuart Weinstein is again offering the community an opportunity to brighten their holiday smiles and, at the same time, the financial outlook of families with members serving in the military.