Featured News

More than 2,000 youth and adults from across the U.S. and Canada will return to Niagara Falls for the Joshua Revolution 2012 conference, "Niagara '12 The Last Trump," from Dec. 27-31. For the first time in six years, the event will be a five-day conference.

It has been a busy few months since I crowned Lewiston's newest peach queen back in September. Not only have my classes at Niagara University been challenging and time consuming, but my ongoing fundraising efforts for the Arthritis Foundation have kept me a busy young lady, as well.

Phil Arno, owner of WBBZ-TV, is offering a schedule of entertaining and inspirational holiday programming.

It may be the off-season for area golfers, but that doesn't mean the folks at the Niagara Falls Country Club have been quiet.

Live interactive event features host Ryan Seacrest and judges Mariah Carey, Randy Jackson, Nicki Minaj and Keith Urban; to stream on www.americanidol.com and www.livestream.com.

Call it an early Christmas present.

Fourteen brave men and women unwrapped certificates of completion Friday, as the Niagara County Law Enforcement Academy held its 54th graduation ceremony - its third on the campus of Niagara University.

The Grand Island Neighbors Foundation and volunteers brought pallets of donated food to the Knights of Columbus hall on Whitehaven Road for unboxing, sorting and distribution to needy Island families at Christmas.

Director of Transportation Jack Burns called the approval of a proposal for a new transportation center on Baseline Road "a good day for Grand Island."

Drones are likely to be the answer for a new mission for the 107th Airlift Wing at the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station.

INTERVIEW/PHOTOS: John Cena and the WWE recently spent a weekend at the Naval Station Norfolk (Virginia). They visited with troops and families while filming "WWE Tribute to the Troops" presented by Slim Jim.

NBC's "The Voice" crowned Cassadee Pope as the winner of the popular vocal competition series' third cycle in Tuesday's live results show and season finale, earning her the grand prize of a recording contract with Universal Republic Records.

Assemblyman John D. Ceretto, R-I-Lewiston, an outspoken opponent of the New York Thruway Authority's plan to raise tolls by 45 percent on commercial trucks, applauded the Thruway Authority's board for averting the hike after implementing several cost-saving measures.

DeMarco Ogletree, a cashier in the nutrition and food service department at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, earned the $2,000 Eva M. Noles Scholarship Friday, Dec. 7, at the fifth annual Eva M. Noles Scholarship and Community Recognition Breakfast at RPCI.

Big changes may be in store for a prominent stretch of the Village of Lewiston.

The Buffalo-based Ellicott Development has purchased 756, 784-790 Center St., and adjacent vacant land on Onondaga Street (bordering North Eighth Street) from HoganWillig PLLC. Current tenants of these properties include The Country Doctor, Grandpaws Pet Emporium and Smith Brothers Pizza.

Ellicott Development CEO William Paladino signed the property transfer and has served as the point person on the $1.4 million transaction. The sale was finalized Nov. 7. William's father, former gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino, founded Ellicott Development, a property management, leasing and development firm, in 1973.

Plans for a new recreation/community/senior center and a donation from an area hazardous waste landfiller were the newsmakers at opposite ends of an otherwise routine Lewiston Town Board work session Monday.

Emery Simon and Harold Hibbard recently purchased Frontier Lanes. They have renamed it the Lewiston Event Center, and plan to make full use of the almost three-acre property.

Over the course of 40 years, master technician Dennis Brochey has worked on more than 100,000 automobiles in his Center Street automotive shop. At the end of this month, he'll hang up his wrench.

The cities of Niagara Falls and Salamanca continue to be hampered by population loss, decreased property values and a significant decline in revenue, according to two fiscal reports issued Monday by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. The reports are the first in a series of fiscal profiles on cities across the state.

The reports detail the impact of the ongoing dispute over casino revenue on the two Western New York communities. The cities are home to casinos operated by the Seneca Nation - the Seneca Niagara Casino and the Seneca Allegany Casino. Niagara Falls and Salamanca have not received their "local share" of casino revenues since 2009, when the Senecas halted gambling compact payments to the state.

Imagine a street lined with flames and filled with chaos as dozens of Lewiston's citizens run barefoot through the night trying to escape attacks from British forces.

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.

Join Lewiston's small businesses this weekend for more Christmas Walk activities and discounts.

Paul and Jan DePlato of Bergholz once again are offering a chance to see one of the area's largest Christmas displays, with an added bonus: a visit with Santa.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced an agreement Tuesday that will prevent the Maid of the Mist scenic boat excursions from shutting down. The multilateral agreement spearheaded by the governor provides for the Maid of the Mist to continue to operate in the Niagara Gorge and for it to produce increased revenues for Niagara Falls State Park.

The agreement will also lead to improvements of the boat tour experience for park visitors and will protect New York state from potential disruptions to a critical tourism attraction for decades to come.

Roswell Park Cancer Institute has been named to The Leapfrog Group's annual Top Hospitals list for a third consecutive year. One of only three National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers in New York state, RPCI is the only New York facility to be named a Leapfrog Top Hospital for 2012.

The navigational prowess of "the most famous reindeer of all" will again illuminate Santa Claus' way into the Christmas season, on a rebroadcast of "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer," Tuesday, Dec. 4 (8 p.m.), on the CBS Television Network.

Year after year, scores of Lewistonians awake in the middle of the night on the day after Thanksgiving to head out to chain stores and kick-start their holiday shopping. It's a popular tradition ... that Lewiston retailers hope to end next week.

Whenever I hear the word "rodent," right away I think of mice and rats, but in the rodent "family" there are many different sizes and types of relatives.

With the 2012 elections now history, members of the Lake Ontario Ordinance Works Community Action Council met this week to begin the strategy process toward approaching area members of Congress.

Business Insider, an award-winning, New York City-based website, has named Lewiston to its "10 Best Small Towns in America" list. The online publication cited Lewiston's placement in the Rand McNally/USA Today "Best of the Road" competition, its historic significance, and proximity to Niagara Falls in ranking the municipality No. 5.

In the past two years, Lewiston's restaurants were twice featured on the Travel Channel, its Historical Association events (including the "Battle of Queenston Heights Commemoration and Re-enactment") garnered national press, and its largest venue, Artpark, picked up a sixth award from Buffalo Spree magazine for its presentation and outdoor facilities.

On Sunday, Nov. 25, Ransomville will celebrate its 25th annual Lighting of the Wreaths event.

America's favorite holiday tradition, the 86th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, returns to dazzle and enchant millions nationwide on Thursday, Nov. 22, from 9 a.m. to noon on NBC (all time zones).

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced Friday that the New York Power Authority board of trustees has approved a plan to provide assistance to the City of Niagara Falls, which will help the city address budget issues related to an ongoing casino revenue dispute between the state of New York and the Seneca Nation of Indians.

Trustees recognized Historical Association of Lewiston volunteers Lee Simonson, Pam Hauth and Bruce Sutherland for organizing and promoting the recent event.

INTERVIEW: NFL experts study hours and hours of game film, interview players and coaches, read injury reports and analyze practice sessions before picking winners each week.

Actress Claire Coffee, on the other hand, well, her method isn't quite as scientific.

PHOTO GALLERY: There's a reason professional chefs on television steer clear of baking: It's not easy.

INTERVIEW: Betrayed (again) by the CIA, and stranded in Panama, life looked awfully bleak for Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan), Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar), Sam (Bruce Campbell) and Jesse (Coby Bell) when "Burn Notice" wrapped its summer season.

As President Obama wins a second term nationally, both Democrat and Republican parties score big victories in Western New York.

INTERVIEW: If you're somebody in Hollywood, chances are you've worked with Bellamy Young.

The actress, seen this season as the furious first lady on ABC's "Scandal," has made her mark both in film and on television. She's costarred in features with Tom Cruise, Mel Gibson and Donald Sutherland, while working on weekly series alongside David Caruso, Thomas Gibson, Joe Mantegna, Zach Braff and John C. McGinley.

INTERVIEWS: Joselyn, Liz, Michaela, Devyn, Sylvia talk about advancing to the live show.

"I'm 73 - and I brag about it," Dotty Gara says. "I was supposed to die when I was 40."