Betsy Diachun of Lewiston's years of volunteerism in her community have paid off, with the active senior being named the 2013 Senior of the Year by the Niagara County Office for the Aging.

MaryAnne Brown has worked at Niagara University since 1996. During that time, she has participated in the university's employee Day of Service every year that it's been offered.

The Buffalo Sabres have announced the hiring of John Koelmel as president of HARBORcenter, the mixed-use hockey and entertainment facility currently under construction on the Webster Block in downtown Buffalo.

Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center has been awarded a certificate of excellence by Univera Healthcare for the highest overall performance in Surgical Care Improvement Project measures.

One hundred sixty-five golfers took to the links Tuesday at the Niagara Falls Country Club for the 22nd annual Niagara Cup Classic golf tournament. The event raised $40,000, which will support health care programming at the hospital, particularly cardiac and stroke services.

The Castellani Art Museum of Niagara University held a volunteer awards luncheon at the Como Restaurant. The awards are in memory of the CAM's long-time volunteer coordinator and museum shop manager Anne LaBarbera.

VIDEO/PHOTOS: Billy Idol kicked off the 2013 "Tuesday in the Park" concert series at Artpark. The rebel rocker performed songs including "White Wedding," "Eyes Without a Face" and "Dancing with Myself."

Amid drenching rain and unseasonably cold temperatures, baseball teams from Depew, Lewiston-Porter, Starpoint and Wilson followed through on their commitment and played in the "Homerun for Hospice" tournament. The event raised an impressive $2,137.80 for Niagara Hospice.

HART Interfaith will mark 30 years of providing a valuable home care service to the Niagara County community when it holds its dinner and recognition affair Wednesday, June 12, at the Niagara Falls Country Club in Lewiston.

The Niagara River Region Chamber of Commerce will present the River Region Chamber Golf Classic on Monday, June 24, at Seneca Hickory Stick Golf Course.

While the Avett Brothers technically kicked off Artpark's 40th anniversary on May 24, many will consider the upcoming week as the official start of the summer season.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has announced a new recreation space on Buffalo's Outer Harbor is now open to the public. Lt. Gov. Robert J. Duffy, local officials and students from City Honors cut the ribbon and unveiled the site's new name, "Wilkeson Pointe."

The state invited middle school classrooms from Buffalo Public Schools to name the site, which was formerly called "Parcel OH." The winning submission came from the eighth grade classroom of Michael A. Serotte, a U.S. history teacher at City Honors.

Wilkeson Pointe is now open to the public from dawn to dusk seven days a week.

A delegation of local officials and community leaders, organized by the Niagara Military Affairs Council, returned last week from a two-day visit to Washington, D.C., where the group met with federal elected officials and Air Force leadership.

Amberleigh Retirement Community in Williamsville recently hosted a "Cutest Cupcake" bake-off among its residents and staff to benefit the Alzheimer's Association of WNY.

Calling all fishing and outdoor sports vendors: "Get hooked" on the first-ever Greater Niagara Fishing & Outdoor Expo, to be held at The Conference & Event Center Niagara Falls, on Jan. 24-26, 2014. The expo promises to be the largest event of its kind in Niagara County, with more than 125 regional vendors from the U.S. and Canada, live fish, animal displays and larger outdoor retailers expected.

Congressman Brian Higgins, NY-26, joined Cameron Davis (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency senior adviser on Great Lakes issues) and Western New York leaders and community members for discussions on the future of the Great Lakes.

Congressman Chris Collins honored the late John Chase, a WWII veteran from Batavia, by presenting his family members with the medals he earned in service.

VIDEO: Memorial Day was observed in the Village of Lewiston with a parade down Center Street, a remembrance ceremony in Academy Park, and a luncheon at the newly remodeled Lewiston No. 1 Volunteer Fire Co. firehall.

The Lewiston Village Pub and Restaurant's annual fundraiser, Pubfest, returns to the village's Academy Park next weekend with some big changes. Out are the kiddie rides and carnival atmosphere. In are two national bands, The Trews and USS, and an increased emphasis on raising money for the Variety Kids Telethon.

With Memorial Day here, Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman has released a guide listing some of the most common summer frauds targeting the state, and offered tips to protect New Yorkers from abuse.

A growing problem during warm-weather months, unscrupulous scam artists prey on New Yorkers as they embark on home improvement projects and plan family vacations. Schneiderman urged New Yorkers to notify his office of any summer scams designed to dupe unsuspecting consumers.

Two first-time events are scheduled this June to assist the Niagara County SPCA. One involves taking a walk in Hyde Park in Niagara Falls. The other is a firefighter competition, part of a five-day Jamboree set for the old Summit Park Mall in Wheatfield.

AccuWeather.com reports the tropics are already heating up and Atlantic hurricane season will begin in a few days. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released its 2013 Atlantic Hurricane Season Forecast Thursday, predicting another active season.

Elected, community and business leaders are reminding local residents and companies of the opportunity to share their story with the judge considering the sentence in the federal case against Tonawanda Coke.

On Friday, New York State Sen. Mark Grisanti, R-I-Buffalo, and New York State Assemblyman Sean Ryan, D-WF-Buffalo, announced legislation to reform the Niagara River Greenway.

In what has become something of a rite of spring, more than 50 National Grid employees returned to Gill Creek Park in Niagara Falls Wednesday to continue efforts to beautify and transform this popular public park and community asset into one of Niagara County's most picturesque and useful green spaces.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo Tuesday unveiled "Tax-Free NY," a game-changing initiative that will transform SUNY campuses and university communities across the state into tax-free communities that attract start-ups, venture capital, new business, and investments from across the world.

Cuomo said Tax-Free NY will entice companies to bring their ventures to upstate New York by offering new businesses the opportunity to operate completely tax-free - including no income tax for employees, no sales, property or business tax - while also partnering with the world-class higher education institutions in the SUNY system.

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals commends New York legislators for passing A.2596/S.1079, to increase criminal penalties for the intentional killing or injuring of a police animal, including both police dogs and horses. Sponsored by Assemblyman Kenneth Zebrowski, D-Rockland, and Sen. George Maziarz, R-Newfane, A.2596/S.1079 passed unanimously and now heads to the desk of Gov. Andrew Cuomo for his signature.

"Police dogs are on the front lines detecting dangers, apprehending criminals, and rescuing victims every day," said Bill Ketzer, senior state director of ASPCA government relations for the northeast region. "The loss of a police animal is a loss to the entire community, and we applaud New York legislators for passing this bill."

Michael A. Ross of Lockport was appointed fourth district coroner by Niagara County lawmakers Tuesday night, succeeding former coroner Richard Rutland, who resigned last month.

Holly Cowman, the international relations officer from Mary Immaculate College in Limerick, Ireland, visited Niagara University Monday to mark the establishment of a memorandum of understanding between the two institutions.

Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center recently turned the spotlight on its volunteers, celebrating their service and commitment at a luncheon at the Niagara Falls Culinary Institute.

Dr. Stuart Weinstein recently presented a check from Advanced Dental to Niagara Falls Air Base Capt. Gina Pizziconi-Cupples.

VIDEO/PICTURES: The Niagara River Region Chamber of Commerce welcomed its largest crowd - more than 300 people - to the annual Chamber Awards Gala Friday at the Niagara Falls Country Club.

Congressman Brian Higgins, NY-26, visited the Robert H. Jackson Center on Friday to take part in events featuring current U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts Jr.

Don't miss the fifth annual Lewiston Region Tour of Kitchens and Homes June 8 and 9. Get an up close and personal look inside of six of the area's most fabulous homes and entertaining spaces located in the Lewiston and Youngstown region

Niagara Hospice and the Schoellkopf Health Center on May 10 announced a new partnership that will lead to the opening of a dedicated hospice unit on the Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center campus.

Old Falls Street, USA, the historic three-block destination in downtown Niagara Falls, has released its schedule of activities for the 2013 season. Most activities are presented free of charge while promising "Food, Festivals and Fun ... just footsteps from Niagara Falls!"

Tops Friendly Markets, a leading full-service grocery retailer in upstate New York and northern Pennsylvania, held a grand re-opening celebration Wednesday to mark the completion of a major renovation of the family-owned and operated Lewiston Tops Market at 906 Center St.

Twenty-three Niagara University Reserve Officers' Training Corps cadets were commissioned second lieutenants in the U.S. Army during a ceremony held May 10 in NU's Gallagher Center. It marked the 72nd consecutive year that members of NU's Purple Eagle Battalion have taken the oath of office.

Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman joined senators Michael Ranzenhofer and Carl Marcellino and Assembly members Jim Brennan, Helene Weinstein and Steve Englebright in proposing sweeping, bipartisan legislation to overhaul the laws governing New York's nonprofit sector.

The product of more than a year of legislative deliberation and negotiation, the Nonprofit Revitalization Act and the Executive Compensation Reform Act would be the first major reforms to the state's charities laws in more than 40 years.

Dunkin' Donuts celebrated the opening of its newest restaurant in the greater Buffalo area at Roswell Park Cancer Institute on Tuesday.