Current News

On Thursday, March 14, Peace of the City Ministries will convene an evening of advocacy, truth-telling and fundraising for Buffalo's children at the Wesleyan Church of Hamburg.

Niagara County Community College will host its Spring Health Fair on Monday, March 18, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the main dining room on the second floor of the Student Center (G Building), on the Sanborn campus.

Relay For Life of Lewiston/Niagara invites the community to join for a complimentary breakfast, Saturday, March 9, from 10 a.m. to noon at Water Street Landing in Lewiston to kick off plans for the 2013 Relay.

Becker Farms & Vizcarra Vineyards has been awarded New York State Agricultural Society Business of the Year for 2013.

On Friday morning, New York State Sen. George Maziarz, New York State Assemblywoman Jane Corwin, New York State Assemblyman John Ceretto and New York State Assemblyman Ray Walter addressed Gov. Andrew Cuomo's proposed 2013-14 budget. Specifically the delegation took exception to the proposed 6 percent cut to the Office of People with Developmental Disabilities for community-based non-profit organizations, which would impact 120,000 people.

More than an office or a single site for service, the Niagara Health Home is a one-stop care management network that provides an unprecedented level of care coordination and service linkages to patients and their families.

The Buffalo Sabres announced Friday that Buffalo Sabres Alumni members will conduct eight separate hockey clinic sessions for children playing at the instructional, mite, squirt, peewee and girls 14-and-under levels on Tuesday, April 2, at First Niagara Center.

The Niagara USA Chamber released the following statement on Friday:

State Sen. Mark Grisanti, R-I-60, is the co-sponsor of S.2755, which would allow professional mixed martial arts events to be held within New York state. On Wednesday, he voted "yes," and the bill passed the Senate by a margin of 47 to 15.

Congressman Chris Collins met with approximately 40 local farmers in Batavia at the first meeting of his agriculture advisory board. As a member of the House agriculture committee, Collins will routinely look to the group to help shape his polices and positions on matters before the committee.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced Friday that New York will construct a new traffic ramp that will connect the U.S. Peace Bridge Plaza directly to the northbound Thruway I-190. The new ramp is part of the New York Gateway Connections improvement project, which will reconfigure access to the U.S. Peace Bridge Plaza, reducing congestion and improving traffic flow for both commercial and private vehicles.

State Sen. Mark Grisanti is congratulating Majority leaders on the restoration of $120 million in spending cuts for people with development disabilities.

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Mental Health Committee Chair Aileen Gunther announced the Assembly's budget proposal would restore $120 million in critical funding to the state Office of People with Developmental Disabilities for services provided by nonprofit organizations that serve individuals with developmental disabilities.

The programs and services provided through non-profits under the auspices of OPWDD help improve the quality of life for individuals with developmental disabilities. These programs help to develop home, personal, behavioral, recreational and social skills to ensure greater independence in their day-to-day lives. In order to ensure these services are not compromised, the Assembly proposes to restore $120 million to mitigate the governor's proposed 6 percent rate reduction to nonprofit providers.

INTERVIEWS: Nick has had enough. When "Grimm" returns with the second half of its second season (beginning tonight), he and Renard will have a good, old-fashioned brawl.

Assemblyman John Ceretto, R-I-C-Lewiston, met earlier this week with James Tomkins, Grand Island highway superintendent, in the Assembly chamber. They discussed the importance of increasing state support for the region's roads and bridges.

Thursday, in the first live results show of the season from Los Angeles, "American Idol" revealed the Top 10 finalists: including Lazaro Arbos, Janelle Arthur, Curtis Finch Jr., Candice Glover, Kree Harrison, Amber Holcomb, Paul Jolley, Angie Miller, Burnell Taylor and Devin Velez.

The Niagara County Community College Small Business Development Center has opened a new office at the Niagara USA Chamber in Sanborn. The SBDC satellite office will help entrepreneurs meet the challenges of owning and operating small businesses in Niagara County while promoting economic growth and stability throughout Western New York.

Just ahead of its unveiling of the 2013 Summer Rush Concert Series, Seneca Casinos announces new acts to round out its spring entertainment lineup. Topping the list is country superstar Sara Evans, who brings her powerful vocal skills to Seneca Allegany Events Center for a late-afternoon show on Sunday, April 28, at 5 p.m.

Crowley Webb, a full-service marketing communications agency in Buffalo, won a silver award in the Collegiate Advertising Awards, a national competition of college and university marketing materials, for the Niagara University "What's On Your Mind" campaign.

The website that's visited daily by tens of thousands of tax professionals, taxpayers and local officials statewide - www.tax.ny.gov - is now streamlined for easier navigation, the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance announced Thursday.

Patients who suffer from the painful, often disabling, symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome often are surprised to find that behavioral changes, not drugs, provide significant relief.

Assemblyman John Ceretto, R-I-C-Lewiston, ranking member on the Assembly tourism committee, is calling on the State Assembly to follow the Senate's lead and pass legislation to legalize mixed martial arts in New York.

Applications for the 2013 Young Women in Public Affairs Scholarship are now available from the Zonta Club of Niagara Falls.

The Firemen's Association of the State of New York is reminding homeowners and renters to change the batteries in their smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors at least once a year to ensure they are working properly. On Sunday, March 10, at 2 a.m., we will set our clocks ahead one hour. FASNY urges New Yorkers to use this reminder when it comes to maintaining their home detectors.

The following is a sampling of calls received by the Town of Niagara Police between Feb. 25 and March 3. During that time period, patrols answered 160 calls.

Comcast Corp., a global media and technology company, has announced that Comcast and NBCUniversal have achieved their publicly announced three-year goal of hiring 1,000 veterans as part of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation's "Hiring Our Heroes" initiative two years ahead of schedule - and that it will double its pledge by committing to hire an additional 1,000 U.S. veterans by 2015. 


The Buffalo Sabres have announced the ninth annual Scotty Bowman Showcase will take place on Monday, April 15, at First Niagara Center. The 2013 Scotty Bowman Showcase consists of three all-star hockey games between players from Buffalo and their rivals from Rochester.

Vincent J. Miller, Ph.D., the Gudorf Chair in Catholic Theology and Culture at the University of Dayton, will deliver an address on "The Church and Work for Justice in the World: From Vatican II to Today" at Niagara University's Alumni Chapel on March 20 at 5:30 p.m.

Rick Ohler, award-winning columnist for The East Aurora Advertiser and author of the local bestseller "Have You Lived Here All Your Life?" . . . Not Yet," will speak at the Roycroft Power House, 31 S. Grove St., East Aurora, on March 9 at 1 p.m. The talk, sponsored by Preservation Buffalo Niagara, is part of its "Buffalo Talks" series.

Wheatfield resident Herb Wienke will turn 100 years old on March 8.

The Erie County Sheriff's Office responded to 158 calls from Feb. 16 to Feb. 22. Below is a sampling of the noteworthy incidents on Grand Island.

February break came and went, and for many students it was refreshing and invigorating. In the spirit of re-energizing, Veronica E. Connor Middle School recently hosted a Positive Behavioral Intervention and Support week.

The Kelly family of Grand Island received the Grand Island Rotary Club's Vocational Service Award at a meeting Feb. 27 at the Buffalo Launch Club.

The Kellys' own Kelly's Country Store celebrated a 50th anniversary last year.

The following incidents occurred from Feb. 18 to 24, as reported by the Grand Island Fire Co. A total of 21 calls were answered by the department during this period. The GIFC has responded to 225 calls so far this year.

Administrators at the Grand Island School District are working toward resolving an estimated shortfall of $1,499.344 by the second week in April.

At the Feb. 25 Board of Education meeting, Assistant Superintendent for School Business Services Joe Giarrizzo told trustees that even though the district is able to recoup 72.1 percent of school expenses from the state and that revenues are up a bit, "Expenses are skyrocketing. We are falling behind." While the district does have money in a reserve savings account, expenses are such that more and more reserve is used each year to close budget gaps.

The Grand Island Chamber of Commerce has recognized Michael Keating, Grand Island KeyBank branch manager, and Yvonne Michaels, KeyBank's client service manager for their generosity and support of the chamber's Citizen of the Year community event.

In the past week, the SPCA of Niagara received another mass rescue of animals - cats this time - plus became the beneficiary of new security cameras to that the SPCA hopes will prevent any future vandalism at its Lockport Road site in Wheatfield.

Town of Niagara residents will have a chance to comment on a possible tax abatement for a planned $71 million Fashion Outlets of Niagara expansion during a town IDA public hearing at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 13, at Town Hall.

Niagara-Wheatfield High School's hockey team is heading for the state semifinals again.

After knocking off two higher seeded teams in the Section VI Class AA girls basketball tournament, Niagara-Wheatfield went down to defeat to top-seeded Jamestown 97-63 in the tournament championship game Tuesday.