The NFL on Thursday announced its 17-week, 256-game regular-season schedule for 2018, which kicks off on Thursday night, Sept. 6, in Philadelphia and concludes Sunday, Dec. 30 with 16 division games.

If you're an African-American living in the 14204, 14206, 14211, 14212 or 14215 ZIP code, you are almost three times as likely to die prematurely as a white person living in a different ZIP code in Buffalo.

In light of recent rainstorms, Niagara County Public Health Director Daniel J. Stapleton advises residents of steps they can take to prevent health risks associated with home flooding.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on Monday announced the awarding of $2.9 million in Lake Ontario Flood Relief funds to local governments in Wayne, Orleans, Niagara, Cayuga and Jefferson counties dedicated to restoration resiliency and recovery efforts following last year's flooding, and to protect the community from the damage of future storms. The state has committed $95 million to recovery efforts to support homeowners, small businesses and community infrastructure.

Mobilizing nearly 2,000 volunteers to remove more than 10 tons of trash from over 50 miles of shoreline across Western New York, Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper will host the largest single-day cleanup event for the community (for the 26th year) on Saturday, April 21.

Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn announced his office finalized the ECDA school critical incident initiative and will begin collaborating with school districts and law enforcement to improve investigative response to school threats.

As Western New York continues to be deluged with heavy rains coming off a weekend of ice storms, wastewater treatment plants throughout the area are now contending with excessive inflow/infiltration problems. It's the result of plants receiving excessive stormwater run-off combined with the handling of normal sewage inflow/infiltration.

Town of Niagara Supervisor Lee Wallace has released the full schedule for the 2018 "Music Mania Mondays" free concert events.

The Division of Charitable Gaming of the New York Gaming Commission on Monday announced the launch of a new feature on the commission website that will expedite and enhance the licensing processing for charitable organizations in New York state.

As part of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's 15th annual National Prescription Drug Take Back Day (April 28), Mount St. Mary's Hospital is joining forces with local law enforcement to help get unused and unwanted drugs out of people's homes.

The City of Niagara Falls, through the Department of Economic Development, has issued a request for proposal for the site of the former Wendt's Dairy, located along Buffalo Avenue in the city's LaSalle neighborhood.

To mark the grand opening of the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center, the board of directors and staff will host three events to introduce the community to the location. The debut weekend will include an opening night celebration on Friday, May 4 (4-9 p.m.), an opening gala on Saturday, May 5 (starting at 5:30 p.m.), and a free community day on Sunday, May 6 (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.).

The Erie County Department of Senior Services and the Center for Elder Law and Justice have announced Elder Law Day 2018 will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Monday, June 18, at the Adam's Mark Hotel, 120 Church St., Buffalo.

In observance of National Crime Victims' Week (April 8-14), Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn announced his office will continue to be a leading resource for victims of all crimes.

Niagara County Public Works officials are asking motorists to be extra-vigilant as county, state and municipal road crews get to work repairing local highways and roads following a blistering winter.

Sens. Chris Jacobs, Rob Ortt and the Western New York delegation to the New York State Senate announced a major funding commitment to a regional service provider on the front lines of the battle against heroin and opioid addiction. Save the Michaels of the World Inc. will receive $425,000 in the recently approved state budget to support their efforts to reduce drug overdoses and addiction across Western New York.

Shortly after midnight Friday morning, March 30, at the direction of Gov. Cuomo, the Thruway Authority successfully flipped the switch on cashless tolling at the Grand Island Bridges. It was a historic occasion, as Grand Island successfully became the Thruway Authority's second cashless tolling location across its 570-mile system, the first in upstate New York.

Over past weeks, the Village of Youngstown has certainly seen its share of it, with recent news of the Melloni's Market Place closing - coming on the heels of the village's KeyBank branch consolidation. Now, comes word of another change on the horizon in the village - but a refreshing one. How about a new summertime happening the River Region can really forward to?

On Saturday morning, elected officials, Niagara University faculty and baseball fans alike stormed to NU for the official unveiling of renovations made to John P. Bobo field.

When the new Village of Lewiston fiscal year begins June 1, residents can expect to pay the same property tax - $7.38 per $1,000 of assessed valuation - but a higher water rate.

The late Charles N. DeGlopper of Grand Island is slated to become a member of the inaugural induction class of the 82nd Airborne Hall of Fame.

Grand Island Town Supervisor Nathan McMurray said residents were so adamant that the Town Board not allow a Love's Travel Stop location on the Island that they were ready to leave town if the truck stop empire set up shop here.

Construction of a new playground/exercise course at Liberty (Big Lou Sirianni) Park, at the corner of Forest Avenue and 19th Street, will begin this spring. The project was voted for by the residents of Niagara Falls, through our participatory budgeting (PB360) process, giving the public direct control of neighborhood spending. We are proud to announce this neighborhood improvement will also feature the hometown brand.

With 33,000 drivers licenses set to renew annually over the next three years, Niagara County Clerk Joseph A. Jastrzemski wants to have a frank conversation with local drivers about the importance of joining the organ and tissue donor registry.

Goodwill of Western New York announced construction is almost complete at its new retail store and donation center in the I-190 Plaza, 6530 Niagara Falls Blvd., Niagara Falls - near the Fashion Outlets of Niagara mall. The 11,000-square-foot store and donation center is Goodwill of Western New York's 12th location, but first in Niagara Falls. The store will employ 15 staff members.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on Monday announced the Town of Newfane and the Village of Barker in Niagara County have been awarded $615,083 in Lake Ontario flood relief funds to support restoration resiliency efforts following last year's flooding, and to protect the community from the damage of future storms. The state has committed $55 million to recovery efforts to support homeowners, small businesses and community infrastructure.

The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance has announced four more opportunities for eligible Western New York taxpayers to take advantage of free tax filing assistance from the New York State Tax Department ahead of the April 17 filing deadline.

The New York State of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation announced National Geographic Adventurer of the Year (2012) Jennifer Pharr Davis will return to Niagara Falls on Sunday, April 22, for a hike followed by a talk about her forthcoming book, "The Pursuit of Endurance."

St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral invites the community of Western New York to a multi-faith service commemorating the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on what will be the 50th anniversary of his death, at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 4.

Every day at the News Media Alliance headquarters, a stack of newspapers arrives for myself and the staff. But with the Department of Commerce and the International Trade Commission currently considering tariffs on Canadian newsprint, those days of screen-free reading could be coming to an end.

The Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation has announced an expansion of the New York State Parks free public Wi-Fi program at select properties. This season, the much-requested service will be available at Gantry Plaza in Queens, Roberto Clemente in the Bronx, Bear Mountain State Park in the Hudson Valley, and additional locations at Niagara Falls State Park in Western New York this season.

The New York State Thruway reminds motorists cashless tolling is now live at the Grand Island toll plazas. To minimize impact to traffic, the official switch took place during the overnight hours. As of this morning's commute, the Grand Island toll plazas will no longer accept cash payment.

The Greater Niagara Federal Credit Union will promote Child Abuse Prevention Month by collecting comfort items during the month of April for the Child Advocacy Center of Niagara, a service of Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center.

Distracted driving tops drivers' list of growing dangers on the road, according to a new survey from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. The annual Traffic Safety Culture Index shows 88 percent of drivers believe distracted driving is on the rise, topping other risky behaviors like:

A new survey, conducted at the Erie County Auto Bureaus, indicates vehicle registrants would choose to opt-out of having their information sold by the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. Erie County Clerk Mickey Kearns collected a week's worth of survey results, totaling 1,500 surveys. Of the Auto Bureau customers surveyed, 95 percent said they would choose to opt-out of having their registration information sold by the state.

Celebrating the 2017 annual campaign, United Way of Greater Niagara will host its eighth annual meeting & awards breakfast on Friday, April 27. The organization's 2017 Annual Campaign raised more than $1 million to support 42 programs provided by 25 different agencies in Niagara County.

Based on the present heavy ice cover remaining on eastern Lake Erie, removal of the Lake Erie-Niagara River ice boom has not started. The International Joint Commission's International Niagara Board of Control has determined the Lake Erie-Niagara River ice boom will not likely be open before April 1.

The Niagara County Youth Bureau will sponsor the 2018 summer food service program (SFSP). This program ensures children who are economically disadvantaged continue to receive nutritious meals during summer vacation. Meals are comparable to the National School Breakfast and National School Lunch Programs (NSBP and NSLP, respectively) throughout the school year.

Pegula Sports and Entertainment and Niagara University on Tuesday announced a multifaceted partnership, in which the two organizations will work together on educational and marketing initiatives. The partnership is designed to utilize PSE's extensive variety entities to create real-world educational content for Niagara students, while increasing exposure for the university throughout Western New York and beyond.

To help fight the tuberculosis and HIV epidemics facing the world, the University at Buffalo Center for Integrated Global Biomedical Sciences will partner with the University of the Western Cape to launch a tuberculosis treatment and nanomedicine development program, and with the University of Zimbabwe to expand cancer- and behavioral health-related HIV research programs.