Roswell Park Cancer Institute is proud to announce several faculty members have collectively received more than $6.7 million in grant funding from federal agencies and other sources. These awards help fund important research that aims to develop new approaches to prevent and treat cancer and to improve RPCI patients' quality of life. Of those, Kelvin P. Lee, M.D., chair of the department of immunology, received three grants totaling more than $3.9 million.

Two grants are from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. They will help fund Lee's work in immunology. One is a four-year award for $2.02 million that will aid exploration of how immune responses occur and what molecular pathways are involved.

On Sunday, Dec. 1, the Winery at Marjim Manor will celebrate the holidays with "The Lighting of the Manor." Six Christmas trees, various displays and Hanukah menorah will be ablaze. The festivities begin at 1 p.m. at 7171 E. Lake Rd, Appleton.

Admittance will be a new hat, scarf or pair of mittens for the designated tree.

As part of the festivities, Manor wine presenter Kim Seddon will play Christmas carols, and Santa will be available for pictures. Nando's Pizzelles will return with a myriad of flavors. Mulled wine and mulled apple cider and other holiday treats will also be available. There will be hourly wine specials and giftwrapping.

Congressman Brian Higgins cheered a proposal announced by the Federal Communications Commission chair to eliminate federal regulations that support sports blackouts.

"Blackout rules are unfair, outdated and alienate dedicated fans," Higgins said. "I support the FCC chairwoman's proposal to eliminate federal policies that defend and allow blackouts. We will be asking the full FCC board to follow through with this recommendation, and the leagues and teams to embrace the change as a way to reach a larger audience and do the right thing for their fans."

Amberleigh Retirement Community in Williamsville celebrated its 25th anniversary as an independent retirement community in Western New York.

New York State Sen. Mark Grisanti, who serves as chairman of the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee, has announced that, after working with town officials in Orchard Park, he has been able to secure $200,000 to help replace Green Lake Dam.

Green Lake Dam was recently reclassified by the state Department of Environmental Conservation from an intermediate hazard to a high hazard, which drew concerns from many residents and community stakeholders in Orchard Park.

Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center recently completed improvements to its main entrance to enhance patient and visitor access.

HARBORcenter President John Koelmel made several announcements regarding hockey programming at HARBORcenter, including the hiring of Kevyn Adams as vice president and director of the HARBORcenter Academy of Hockey, a premier hockey training and development program at the complex.

Women's Services Director Susan V. Martin, left, and Mitika Bailey of Niagara Falls get acquainted with Bailey's newborn daughter, Ne'vayeh Katrina Pace, at Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center.

City of North Tonawanda Mayor Robert G. Ortt announced the city was awarded a grant in the amount of $343,000 from the New York State Office of Community Renewal to make improvements at the Carnegie Art Center.

Paul and Paula Mayers of Lockport have won a handmade Amish quilt in the Niagara History Center's 25th annual quilt drawing. This year's quilt was a double-wedding-ring pattern of black and red on a white background.

Amberleigh is celebrating 25 years of excellence in caring for seniors at its silver anniversary party. The Oct. 25 event runs from 2-4 p.m. at 2330 Maple Road, Williamsville, and the public is invited. Champagne and refreshments will be served.

Dr. Barry Weinstein (Amherst supervisor) and Assemblyman Ray Walters will be presenting proclamations. All attendees will be entered in anniversary drawings to win a full day at Excuria Salon with lunch, or a four-hour limousine service for eight from Aces Limousine Service. Tours will also be given.

Wireless networks span the globe. But like a frightened toddler, they don't go underwater.

That may soon change, because University at Buffalo researchers are developing a deep-sea Internet.

Air monitoring conducted on the west side of Buffalo, near the U.S. Peace Bridge Plaza, indicates that air quality in this area is consistent with levels in the city overall and meets federal standards, according to a study released by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. The study is the first phase of the Air Quality Study of the Impact of the Peace Bridge Plaza on the Surrounding Neighborhood, which will assess changes in air quality associated with the redesign of the Peace Bridge Plaza and access to I-190.

Leading a coalition of seven states, New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman has announced the filing of a lawsuit against the federal Environmental Protection Agency for allegedly violating the Clean Air Act by failing to adequately limit air pollution emissions from new residential wood heaters. In the legal papers, Schneiderman's coalition contends the EPA's existing emissions limits, which haven't been revised in 25 years, are outdated and leave out popular types of residential wood heaters - including outdoor wood boilers, which have proliferated in many areas of New York.

The University at Buffalo Center for Assistive Technology has received a $ 4.7 million competitive award from the U.S. Department of Education's National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitative Research.

The 2013-18 award was announced as CAT celebrates its 25th anniversary and brings the total amount of extramural support generated by the center to about $100 million since its founding in 1988.

Lockport Mayor Michael W. Tucker joined federal, state and local dignitaries Oct. 9 to mark the beginning of restoration of the famed Erie Canal Flight of Five Locks. Remarks were made during a community celebration on Canal Street in the heart of downtown Lockport.

The University at Buffalo and Kaleida Health have announced the joint appointment of Carroll McWilliams (Mac) Harmon, M.D., Ph.D., as chief of the division of pediatric surgery and director of the pediatric surgery fellowship at the UB School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences; and pediatric surgeon-in-chief (chief of surgery, pediatric surgery) at Women & Children's Hospital of Buffalo. His faculty appointment will be professor in the UB department of surgery.

Harmon, currently professor and director of pediatric surgical research at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Medicine, will begin his new positions at UB and Women & Children's Hospital on Jan. 1, 2014.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced Thursday the state and the City of Niagara Falls will partner to launch the Downtown Niagara Falls Development Challenge, a major competition to select a team of world-class designers, developers and operators to envision and develop signature projects in the downtown area that will attract significant private sector investment and accelerate the revitalization of Niagara Falls. The goal of the competition is to transform downtown Niagara Falls into the ultimate tourist destination to attract and retain visitors from around the world, by building and enhancing the amenities and attractions available in the area.

Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman and State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Joe Martens announced a lawsuit Tuesday to prevent Amigone Funeral Home Inc. from reopening its crematory in a residential neighborhood in the Town of Tonawanda. The crematory, which the A.G.'s camp said has a long history of generating offensive odors, soot, and excessive noise into the neighborhood, has been the source of persistent community complaints. While a July 2012 agreement with Schneiderman's office resulted in Amigone suspending operations at the crematory, the funeral home has recently signaled its intention to restart operations.

State Sen. Mark Grisanti, in partnership with City of Tonawanda Mayor Ron Pilozzi, Time Warner Cable and SunnKing, hosted a free electronics recycling event in the Town of Tonawanda.

The attendees at the 13th annual Technology & Homeland Security Forum are already up on languages like Java, SQL, Python and ASP.NET. But this year, the only languages that some of their presenters are familiar with are Alpo and Milk Bone.

Michael J. Mitchell, M.D., F.A.C.S. and Aaron Wilson have been appointed medical director and program director, respectively, of the Wound Center of Niagara.

A general, vascular and laparoscopic surgeon, Mitchell is a graduate of Canisius College and the SUNY Buffalo School of Medicine. He completed his surgical training at SUNY Buffalo. He is board-certified by the American Board of Surgery and is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.

A Niagara Falls native, Wilson holds a Bachelor of Health Science degree from the State University of New York at Brockport and spent five years working in orthopedics and wound care at Bassett Hospital in Cooperstown before returning to school to complete a Bachelor of Science in nursing at Binghamton University.

The Buffalo Sabres have announced a new community program this season that will involve Sabres players, coaches, team officials, alumni and fans supporting a variety of different nonprofit agencies and individuals in Buffalo, Western New York and Southern Ontario. "Sabres Community Assist" will be a six-day endeavor, taking place from Oct. 18-23, that will include player visits to area nonprofit organizations, a fundraising walk to benefit the I AM effort, and will shine a light on individuals whose lives have inspired and impacted others.

Covanta Niagara, the owner and operator of the energy-from-waste facility off 56th street in Niagara Falls, in partnership with State Sen. George Maziarz and Assemblyman John Ceretto, today announced a plan to help neighbors with a rodent infestation problem stemming from road construction and sewer work on Buffalo Avenue. Over the past several weeks, Covanta has been meeting with neighbors and state and local government officials to discuss the issue in the community, and hired Orkin Pest Control to conduct a survey and develop a remedial plan.

Leadership Niagara kicked off a new program year for its eight-month youth leadership development program, LYNC, at Camp Kenan in Barker this weekend. Eighty student leaders from 12 Western New York high schools gathered together for two days of orientation, leadership skills and concepts, high ropes and camping.

Community leaders, private industry, state and federal representatives joined forces to kick off the next phase of major investment into the restoration of 6.2 miles of the Buffalo River. This internationally recognized project is one of the largest river cleanups in the country.

The Buffalo River Restoration Partnership includes the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Great Lakes National Program Office, Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper, Honeywell, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Over the past decade, the combined efforts from the various partners in this partnership have leveraged nearly $75 million into restoration of the Buffalo River and its shoreline, making it one of the Great Lakes most successful revitalization efforts.

Throughout this month, the art works of John Briglio will be on display at Wine on Third, 501 Third St., Niagara Falls.

As part of its "Dialogues on disABILITY Speaker Series," the Museum of disABILITY History will welcome artist and photographer Char Szabo-Perricelli. The event will take place on Friday, Sept. 27, from 7 to 9 p.m., at the Museum of disABILITY History, 3826 Main St., Buffalo.

The artist will host a candid Q-and-A, as well as a presentation that will focus on architecture and the ability of photography to preserve and uphold the integrity of historic structures. Szabo-Perricelli will also share observations on the JN Adam Developmental Center, as well as her reflections on social attitudes toward people with disabilities.

A New York Air National Guard officer who spent nine years preparing to coordinate space shuttle rescue missions has taken command of the New York Air National Guard's 107th Medical Group of the 107th Airlift Wing.