Current News

On Saturday, Feb. 8, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Dr. Glenda R. Rose and Dr. Thomas G. Barba of Rose Chiropractic P.C. in Lewiston will sponsor the 24th annual "Doctors with a Heart Day" for their patients.

Community Missions Inc. will hold its 17th annual "Sweetheart Dinner" on Friday, Feb. 7, at the Sheraton at the Falls in Niagara Falls.

St. John Lutheran School, 6950 Ward Road, Wheatfield, is hosting its 23rd annual family-style turkey dinner from 4 to 6 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 9.

The following is a sampling of the 159 calls received by the Town of Niagara Police between Tuesday, Jan. 21 and 26.

St. Peter's Lutheran Church, 6168 Walmore Road in Sanborn, will host its monthly contemporary worship gathering, "Saturday Night Alive," starting at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 8.

First Presbyterian Church of Youngstown announces its "Second Saturday" concert series continues Saturday, Feb. 8, at 7 p.m. at 100 Church St.

The Lewiston Public Library, 305 S. Eighth St., in the Village of Lewiston, announces the following for the month of February:

Quasar bounced back in the news this week at the Wheatfield Town Board meeting with an announcement that company officials will speak at a public information meeting Feb. 24.

The company wants to discuss with the board a site plan modification for an accessory storage tank for equate at the Quasar facility on Liberty Drive.

The meeting will begin at 7 p.m., prior to the regular Town Board meeting at Town Hall.

"It's an information meeting. It's nothing more than that," Town Supervisor Bob Cliffe emphasized. "The folks from Quasar will come and give us their ideas and talk about their design."

The 2014 Grand Island Relay For Life will hold its kickoff event Feb. 5, and those who attend should go ready to rock.

Organizers of the GI Relay have adopted "Rock-Out Cancer" as the 2014 theme for the fund drive to support the American Cancer Society. The kickoff for 2014 will take place at Veronica Connor Middle School's cafeteria, 1100 Ransom Road, on Wednesday, Feb. 5, at 7 p.m.

At the kickoff, awards recognizing achievement from the 2013 Relay will be handed out as well.

High jinks on the high seas is the setting for Grand Island High School's annual musical.

"The Pirates of Penzance" will be presented Thursday, Feb. 6; Friday, Feb. 7; and Saturday, Feb. 8, on the high school stage. This ambitious production is one of Gilbert and Sullivan's best known comic operettas.

A proposed law to require public assembly permits had another hearing at Town Hall.

Local Law Intro No. 3 of 2013 - Public Assembly Permit would regulate parades and special events having more than 200 persons in attendance.

George K. Minton, a resident of Grand Island, entered into rest Jan. 20, 2014.

Erie County Sheriff Timothy B. Howard has announced the Civil Enforcement Division reached a four-year high in revenue, topping $1 million for the county's 2013 General Fund account.

As the sheriff is the state-mandated enforcement officer for all courts in New York State; the C.E.D. performs service and enforcement functions for its civil courts, including the service of summonses and subpoenas, collection of money judgments, and enforcement of court orders, including warrants of eviction. Service/enforcement and mileage fees, plus a "poundage" fee of 5 percent on all money collected are forwarded monthly to the county comptroller.

Lily Kay O'Connor passed away unexpectedly on the morning of Jan. 22, 2014.

James Wynne, a resident of Grand Island, died Friday, Jan. 24, of complications of cancer. He was born July 24, 1937, and was 76.

Congressman Brian Higgins announced he has cosponsored two bills that would aid former Bethlehem Steel employees, and families of former employees, in receiving the compensation they are due for health issues resulting from unknown exposure to toxins during their employment.

Congressman Brian Higgins stood with Western New York residents, businesses, and employees concerned the proposal to close the Social Security office in Amherst would have a serious impact on the population it serves.

Better Business Bureau is warning consumers of new scammer tricks that could cost you money. Cell phone users and credit card holders beware of unauthorized charges appearing on monthly wireless or credit card statements.

Celebrated native Buffalo azz-pop crooner Marcus Goldhaber has been tapped by official Super Bowl event organizers for the live world premiere of his inspiring new original song for the troops, "Come Home America," before military members and their families at the star-studded 13th annual Celebrity Flag Football Challenge.

If you think you can stand the heat, sign-up to get in the kitchen! Bravo's Emmy and James Beard Award-winning series "Top Chef" will be returning for a 12th season this fall. Open casting calls for chefs interested in competing in the high-stakes culinary competition series will be held in cities across the country starting Tuesday, Feb. 18.

They're back - and shark happens! Syfy and The Asylum have announced Ian Ziering and Tara Reid will reprise their roles as Fin and April in the eagerly awaited "Sharknado" sequel, "Sharknado 2: The Second One," which begins filming in New York Feb. 13.

Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center inaugurated a revolutionary new coordinated care program Thursday that will integrate behavioral health, primary care, wellness services, and community and social support services under one roof.

Named the Niagara Wellness Connection Center, the outpatient program will be housed in a newly constructed, $1.98 million facility on the sixth floor of Memorial's Schoellkopf Building (S-6). It will enhance accessibility, improve patient outcomes and reduce the cost of care by reducing emergency room visits and hospital admissions.

The Band Perry received two nominations this week from the Academy of Country Music for "Vocal Group of The Year" and "Music Video of The Year" for their No. 1 smash "Better Dig Two."

Children ages 7-12 are invited to celebrate Presidents' Day at the History Center of Niagara County from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 17.

Earlier this week, Niagara Frontier Publications learned Beatles drummer Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band were booked to play this summer at Artpark in Lewiston. The group will perform in the outdoor amphitheater Tuesday, June 24.

Kenneth McNeil, Jr., 25, of Niagara Falls has been charged in connection with the June 28, 2013, robbery of the Sanborn Family Mart Store on Saunders Settlement Road.

The Niagara County Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigation Bureau is investigating the attempted armed robbery that occurred on Jan. 25, at 7:37 p.m. at Kwik Fill, 3945 Niagara Falls Blvd., Wheatfield.

Applications for the Ancient Order of Hibernians annual scholarship for Niagara Catholic Jr./Sr. High School are now available at Niagara Catholic.

Applications for the 2014 Zonta Club of Niagara Falls Inc. non-traditional student scholarship are now available.

LaSalle PRIDE Inc., in conjunction with the LaSalle Library, will present a lecture on the Tourist Cabins and Motels of Historic LaSalle at 6 p.m., on Tuesday, Feb. 4, in the second floor meeting room of the LaSalle Library, 8728 Buffalo Ave.

The Buffalo Zoo welcomes Jester the California sea lion.

Jester was born at SeaWorld in Orlando, Fla., in May 2002. He was a part of the U.S. marine mammal Navy program until December 2006, when he was transferred to the Aquarium of Niagara.

On the very bitter evening of Wednesday, Jan. 22, the Niagara-Wheatfield Board of Education meeting was held in front of a crowd of concerned residents.

VA Western New York Healthcare System will hold a memorial service for veterans, employees and the community at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 2, to honor four chaplains who lost their lives in an extraordinary act of heroism during World War II. Rabbi Allen Podet will deliver the keynote address in Freedom Hall at the Buffalo site, 3495 Bailey Ave., Buffalo.

Season 15 of "The Biggest Loser: Second Chances" comes to a close as the 15 contestants reunite to show off their transformations, and the winner is revealed in the live finale, airing Tuesday, Feb. 4 (9 p.m.), on NBC. The participants will reveal their combined weight loss of more than 1,700 pounds.

Actors Kristen Bell and Michael B. Jordan will host the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Scientific and Technical Awards Saturday, Feb. 15, at The Beverly Hills Hotel. They will present 19 awards to 52 individual recipients during the evening.

Four new aspiring chefs head to culinary school in the docu-series "The Freshman Class: Santa Cruz," premiering Tuesday, March 11, at 8 p.m. on Cooking Channel.

The Department of Agriculture and Markets is not keeping up with the demands of its inspection schedule, allowing thousands of food manufacturers, supermarkets, bakeries and other food-related businesses to operate without updated inspections, according to an audit released today by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.

Applications for the 2014 lottery for Native American handicraft sales permits are now available at the Niagara Falls State Park administrative office. To be eligible, applicants must be 18 years of age or older and registered as a Native American (or provide verifiable proof of Native American heritage).

The list of restaurant and catering participants has grown on an almost daily basis for "A Taste of The Niagara Region," a family-friendly event set for Saturday, Feb. 8, from noon to 7 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church of Lewiston, 505 Cayuga St.

The John R. Oishei Foundation has made a gift of $5 million to the University at Buffalo to support construction of the new UB School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences building on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus.