Current News

Miss Posa's first grade class at St. Peter R.C. School in Lewiston is learning about culture, ancestry and heritage.

The American Business Women's Association of Western New York will hold its monthly professional development seminar on Wednesday, Nov. 16, at Banchetti's Banquets and Catering, 550 N. French Road, Amherst.

The professional development speaker is Susan McCartney of the Small Business Development Center at Buffalo State College. She will focus her presentation on strategic planning for small businesses. The public is welcome to attend this seminar.

The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. Cost for members is $25 before Nov. 6 and $30 after that date. Walk-ins are welcome; the cost is $30. Non-members are $20. A buffet dinner is included.

Youngstown Veterans of Foreign War Post 313 will hold a Veterans Day ceremony in Veterans Park 11 a.m. on Nov. 11.

Oxygen hosts an open casting call for the hit series "The Glee Project" in New York City on Nov. 12 and 13.

The Great Lakes Seaway Trail is a nationally recognized, authentic American road trip experience in New York and Pennsylvania. The not-for-profit Seaway Trail Inc. is reinforcing the message that the National Scenic Byway is good for the Western New York economy and local businesses with a new member incentive program.

The 518-mile Great Lakes Seaway Trail connects places such as Buffalo, Wilson, Lewiston and Niagara Falls with byway communities stretching along the St. Lawrence River, Lake Ontario, Niagara River and Lake Erie.

November is Diabetes Awareness Month and, from Nov. 14-18, Mount St. Mary's Hospital will celebrate "Diabetes Awareness Week" with an array of displays, programs and information throughout the hospital.

On Tuesday, Nov. 15, "Know Your Diabetes: Nutrition -- Dine and Discuss Diabetes" will be presented at 6 p.m. in the Mount St. Mary's cafeteria. This program is conducted by diabetes education and nutrition services at Mount St. Mary's and will feature a free, carbohydrate-counted meal with information on making good food choices. The program is free, but seating is limited. Pre-Registration is required at 298-2145.

Pink Floyd great Roger Waters will return to Buffalo to perform "The Wall - Live" at First Niagara Center on Thursday, June 2, at 8 p.m.

A steely marketing executive gets more than she bargained for when her "Sexy Santa" contest winner turns out to be more than just a handsome face in the ABC Family original movie premiere of "Desperately Seeking Santa," on Sunday, Nov. 27 (8 to 10 p.m.). Starring Laura Vandervoort ("V," "Smallville") and Nick Zano ("2 Broke Girls," "The Final Destination"), this romantic holiday movie airs as part of the "Countdown to 25 Days of Christmas" programming event.

Co-hosts Trace Adkins and Kristin Chenoweth, along with country music's Blake Shelton, Pistol Annies, Thompson Square, Eli Young Band and The Band Perry are set to perform at the American Country Awards, airing live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Monday, Dec. 5 (8-10 p.m. ET live) on FOX.

The Niagara County Sheriff's Office, New York State Police and New York State Liquor Authority conducted a joint underage alcohol enforcement detail throughout Niagara County from 4 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 27.

The Historic Riviera Theatre presents the American Legion Band of the Tonawandas Veterans Day concert on Sunday, Nov. 13, at 7:30 pm.

Old Falls Street, Global Spectrum, the Pine Avenue Business Association and The Como Restaurant are teaming up to put on the second annual night of Italian fare, family, wine, and a good time on Thursday Nov. 17. "Italian Feast Night" will be presented from 6 until 10 p.m. at The Conference Center Niagara Falls, 101 Old Falls St., Niagara Falls.

"Italian Feast Night" is catered by The Como Restaurant and The Conference Center of Niagara Falls. Guests can enjoy an Italian buffet of traditional dishes, including pasta, Italian delights and a variety of delectable desserts. Additionally, the celebration will have music by The Formula Band to set the Italian mood.

Italians have a long tradition in the area of Niagara Falls. This feast is a fundraiser for the Pine Avenue Business Association, which continues to preserve culture and traditions in the area.

Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door, and include a complementary beverage. Tickets can be purchased in advance from The Conference Center Niagara Falls, the Como Restaurant (on Pine Avenue), and The Pine Avenue Business Association.

The controversial state-financed move of a downtown Niagara Falls insulation manufacturing company to Tonawanda will receive an airing before the Niagara County Legislature tonight.

On Nov. 21, an iconic morning talk show will begin a new era. On "LIVE! with Kelly," Kelly Ripa will welcome as guest co-host comedy superstar Jerry Seinfeld. Seinfeld, a long-time friend of the show, will join Ripa for three shows, airing Nov. 21-23.

Among the guests stopping by to join Ripa and Seinfeld are actor Jason Segal, actress Kim Cattrall, comedian and host Howie Mandel, "Naked Chef" Jamie Oliver and the fabulous Miss Piggy.

"Jerry is a great friend of ours, and a friend of Kelly's, and it doesn't hurt that he's an entertainment icon," said executive producer Michael Gelman. "It's a great way to kick off the new beginning of our show."

Tune into "Jimmy Kimmel Live" Monday, Nov. 7, through Friday, Nov. 18, to catch interviews with "Twilight" stars Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Peter Facinelli and Jackson Rathbone. In addition, Kimmel's two weeks will feature musical performances featured on the "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1" soundtrack, including The Belle Brigade ("I Didn't Mean It") and Christina Perri ("A Thousand Years").

"The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1" opens in theaters on Friday, Nov. 18.

National Fuel says that the cost of heating our homes may go down a little bit this year. That's good news. But the Government Accountability Office reports that a quarter of older Americans have exhausted their savings during the recession. Obviously, that's not good news.

Mount St. Mary's Hospital and Health Center will present a series of programs in November as part of its health education program and event series, with special emphasis on programs as part of its recognition of November as Diabetes Awareness Month.

On Tuesday, Nov. 1, "Counting Carbohydrates" will be presented at 6 p.m. in Room 249. This program is conducted by Diabetes Education at Mount St. Mary's and will focus on counting carbohydrates for a nutrition diet. Pre-registration is encouraged. Call 298-2145.

The "Second Saturday" concert series at First Presbyterian Church takes place starting at 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 12, at the church, 100 Church St., in Youngstown. Featured will be Heather Dale, Canadian recording artist, and her partner, Ben Deschamps, exploring a lively, diverse repertoire, mixing original songs with fresh twists on Celtic and folk music.

First Presbyterian Church, located at Fifth and Cayuga streets in Lewiston, hosts a church bazaar from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 8.

Baked goods, jams, jellies, cheese, pies, knitted items, gifts and much more will be available at the event. Additionally, if you vote at the church on Election Day, coffee, muffins and danish can be picked up on your way to work.

Check out Wayne Peters' photos.

Over the weekend, representatives Kathy Hochul, Brian Higgins, Louise Slaughter and Tom Reed, along with senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, called on U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to investigate whether Colgan Airlines intentionally withheld emails from a federal agency during the investigation of the crash of the Continental Connection Flight 3407 in February 2009.

"The people in my district experienced an unimaginable tragedy that took the lives of 50 of their loved ones," Hochul said. "The 3407 families deserve to know the truth, which is why we're calling on Attorney General Holder to investigate whether Colgan and its parent company intentionally withheld key evidence during the NTSB inquiry. We will not rest until we have all the answers."

A holiday tradition is returning to the Niagara region.

The Greater Niagara Ballet Co. and the United Way of Greater Niagara are teaming up to present the "Sugarplum Fairy Breakfast" - an offshoot of the popular but discontinued "Barbie Luncheon" - on Saturday, Nov. 12. All children in attendance will receive a special Barbie doll and enter to win a "Holiday" Barbie.

Families can enjoy breakfast and interact with character dancers participating in the GNBC's annual holiday production of "The Nutcracker."

YMCA Buffalo Niagara is inviting Western New Yorkers to cheer on the participants for the 116th annual YMCA Turkey Trot as "Trot Gobblers." Held every Thanksgiving morning, the race welcomes more than 12,500 participants to the 8K course on Delaware Avenue in Buffalo.

Fourth-graders at St. Peter R.C. School work hard, learn and have fun, too.

VA Western New York Healthcare System will host a Native American Month Awareness event at the Buffalo site, 3495 Bailey Ave., Buffalo, at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Nov. 4, in Freedom Hall, Room 301.

Congresswoman Louise Slaughter, NY-28th district, has encouraged all seniors and their families to take advantage of Medicare's open enrollment.

St. Peter's Lutheran School, 6168 Walmore Road, Sanborn, will hold a Chiavetta's "Drive-Thru" chicken barbecue from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 3, at the school.

The cost is $8 and includes half a chicken, baked potato, corn, dinner roll with butter and a brownie, along with condiments and utensils so you're ready to eat.

The fundraiser is sponsored by the seventh- and eighth-grade classes to raise funds for their New York City trip in the spring. This is a long running tradition at St. Peter's for the upperclassmen to take a bigger "field trip" away every other year.

The importance of blacksmithing during the Revolutionary War in making guns and other vital equipment will be explained by Irene Purificato in a talk to the Niagara Falls Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, on Saturday, Nov. 5.

The Wilson Lions planted new trees in Greenwood Cemetery.

The Lewiston-Porter Historical Society of the Lew-Port School District will host its fourth annual Veterans Day dinner on Thursday, Nov. 10, in the Lew-Port High School cafeteria.

Lewiston residents had their opportunity to sound off on the town's $15.6 million tentative 2012 budget and its quest for an override of the state's 2 percent property tax cap in two public hearings Monday night.

Two snaps up! An updated version of the groundbreaking FOX sketch comedy series "In Living Color" will air as two half-hour specials in the spring of 2012.

The Niagara River Region Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Oct. 21 for Brennan's Irish Pub.

The Lewiston Kiwanis Club presented a $4,000 check to It Happened to Alexa Foundation co-founder Stacey Branchini on Wednesday.

Gourmet chef and knowledgeable wine enthusiast Rebecca Christie is the new owner of the Village Vineyard and Village Wine Tours, both located at 467 Center St., in Lewiston.

The Lockport Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians Division II recently made a donation to the "Peanut Butter & Jelly Drive" in the form of a check for that was made out to NYSEG to be used toward covering the cost of electricity for the fundraiser.

It all started on a Sunday morning last December. Kristi Moore of Lewiston was relishing a rare moment of solitude in front of the TV (mothers of young children know what I'm talking about. ...). CBS "Sunday Morning" was airing a segment on "Beads of Courage," a charitable organization that provides arts-in-medicine supportive care for children coping with serious illness. Kristi was so touched and moved by this story that she wanted to get involved right away.

The following activity occurred Monday, Oct. 17, to Sunday, Oct. 23, as reported by the Lewiston Police Department. LPD responded to a total of 97 calls during this period.

Members of the newly formed Lake Ontario Ordnance Works Community Action Council met Thursday, Oct. 20, for a lengthy information and organizing session at the Lewiston-Porter Community Resource Center.

Reading is very rewarding, but more so for the students at the Lewiston-Porter Intermediate Education Center.