Current News

On Saturday, June 20, the Upper Mountain, Lewiston No. 1, Ransomville and Youngstown volunteer fire companies will pay a visit to each of the graduating seniors of the Lewiston-Porter High School Class of 2020.

An updated analysis of school budget votes by the New York State School Boards Association finds 98.7% of school district budgets were approved by voters on Tuesday.

A new law designed to safeguard nursing homes against future pandemic outbreaks and other public health emergencies is a good first step in providing vital protection to residents, AARP New York announced.

North Tonawanda City Hall will be reopening to the public by appointment only, beginning June 22. The following rules and conditions will apply:

Provident Label Group/Essential Worship's SEU Worship releases their debut full-length album, "A Thousand Generations," today.

ASPA Buffalo Niagara Chapter - the local chapter for the American Society for Public Administration - announced recipients of a first-ever annual awards program, and 2020-21 officers and board members during its recent 2020 annual meeting.

Josh Turner invites fans to join him in scaling what the charismatic performer likes to call his "Mount Rushmore of Country Music" on his new studio album "Country State of Mind," scheduled for release Aug. 21 on MCA Nashville. The 12-song collection finds Turner in an enlightened "country state of mind" as he pays homage to a cross-section of classic country music icons, including five legends who have long held a firm place in his musical journey: Randy Travis, John Anderson, Johnny Cash, Vern Gosdin and Hank Williams.

Community Music, the worship arm of Chicago's Community Christian Church, introduces "Nothing He Can't Do" today. Featuring Dove Award-winning Word Worship Music recording artist Meredith Andrews along with Community Music worship leaders Lucas and Evelyn Cortazio, the powerful anthem was penned by the Cortazios; Andrews; and Andrew Bergthold (We The Kingdom), who also produced the recording.

The Town of Niagara will begin the gradual process of reopening the Town Hall. Below are the procedures in place for the week of June 22:

Full edition: The Tribune and The Sentinel for June 19, 2020

Brickyard team members are serving their signature barbecue and beer at the Lewiston Farmers Market.

As planning continues toward restoration of Niagara County shoreline areas under the New York State Lake Ontario Resiliency and Economic Development Initiative (REDI), Niagara County legislators are now putting out the call for Gov. Andrew Cuomo to consider waiving the 5% local funding share.

Show off your "red, white and blue" for the Fourth of July in Wheatfield from June 24 through July 8.

Graduating seniors from Niagara-Wheatfield High School are set to get a send-off to remember on Saturday, June 20. Co-developed by school administrators as well as students, the three-part graduation ceremony will include a virtual ceremony, drive-up commencement and a community parade.

The Town of Niagara water tower was the subject of some discussion at the regular Town Board meeting on June 16. A late agenda resolution to award the "Water Tank Exterior Painting Project" to Utility Service Co. Inc. for $1,581,600 raised some questions among board members.

Veterans of Foreign Wars Downriver Post 7487 presented a scholarship award to 18-year-old Lukas Larson last Friday. The Lewiston resident (by way of California) plans to attend Brigham Young University in the fall to begin studies in mechanical engineering and aerospace studies.

On Thursday, ABC announced the Emmy Award-nominated comedy series "black-ish" will join the network's Wednesday night lineup when the 2020-21 primetime schedule premieres. The previously announced new comedy "Call Your Mother" will debut later in the season.

HBO Max announced Thursday it will have the U.S. SVOD exclusive premiere of Warner Bros. animated feature film "SCOOB!" available on the streaming platform June 26. The film first made its debut in homes via Premium Video On Demand (PVOD) and for premium digital ownership in the U.S. and Canada, providing first-run content while theaters remain closed due to the current global health crisis.

On Thursday morning, two-time Grammy-nominated and multi-Platinum band Disturbed confirmed the rescheduled 2021 dates for the "The Sickness 20th Anniversary Tour," co-produced by Frank Productions and Live Nation.

HBO Sports, NFL Films and the two Los Angeles-based NFL franchises are teaming up for an unprecedented and unfiltered all-access look at what it takes to make it in the National Football League when "Hard Knocks: Los Angeles" kicks off its five-episode season this summer. One of the fastest-turnaround programs on TV, the 15th edition of the 18-time Sports Emmy-winning series debuts Tuesday, Aug. 11 (10 p.m. ET/PT), with other hour-long episodes of the first sports-based reality series debuting subsequent Tuesdays at the same time, culminating in the Sept. 8 season finale.

Food Network's biggest stars offer the ultimate guide for the best dishes they have ever had while also giving viewers an up close and personal look at recipes to make at home in "All-Star Best Thing I Ever Ate," premiering Monday, July 20 (9 p.m. ET/PT), on Food Network.

The sudden appearance of a novel, sometimes deadly, highly infectious disease about which not much is known is terrifying enough. But when combined with pronounced health disparities among the underserved in communities like Buffalo, the COVID-19 pandemic became all the more devastating.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Thursday announced he will issue an executive order strengthening state enforcement during the phased reopening to protect New Yorkers and ensure business compliance.

Niagara Clerk Joseph A. Jastrzemski on Thursday announced the Niagara County Department of Motor Vehicles offices in North Tonawanda and Lockport will be open for in-person transactions for Niagara County residents only beginning Monday, June 22. In-person transactions are by appointment only. Residents can begin scheduling their appointments as of 9 a.m. Friday.

Installers from Signmatic Systems in Akron recently hung the first of two backlit signs identifying Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center as the home of the new Golisano Medical Oncology Center.

New York State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA) reminds New Yorkers of all ages to stay aware of scams surrounding the novel coronavirus. Scams have become even more sophisticated in recent years, and although COVID-19 cases are currently on the decline across the state, scammers continue to seek to take advantage of uncertainty surrounding the virus.

With so many people now spending a significant amount of time at home, the Erie County Department of Health is urging homeowners and renters to reduce the risk of preventable injuries inside the home during National Healthy Homes Month in June.

Coronavirus stats for June 18

Low-fare carrier Frontier Airlines is expanding its service from Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF) with new nonstop flights to Miami and additional daily flights to Orlando beginning in December. To celebrate Frontier's new Buffalo schedule, the airline is offering fares as low as $49, which are available now at FlyFrontier.com.

The New York Power Authority has partnered with Signify, a world leader in lighting, to support "Smart Street Lighting NY," a statewide program that calls for at least 500,000 streetlights throughout the state to be replaced with energy-efficient LED technology by 2025.

As a result of the sharp drop in travel demand from COVID-19, state and local tax revenue from hotel operations will drop by $16.8 billion in 2020, according to a new report by Oxford Economics released Thursday by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA).

Niagara County will open one playground area in each of Krull, Oppenheim and West Canal parks on Friday, and will open the rest of the playground areas next Friday, Niagara County Legislature Chairwoman Becky Wydysh said. Splash pads at Krull and Oppenheim are set to open by the end of June.

Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the United States, but establishing the day as a national holiday would also serve as an opportunity of intense reflection for all people dedicated to issues of freedom and social justice to recommit themselves to working toward the never-realized goals of post-Civil War reconstruction, according to Cecil Foster, a University at Buffalo professor of transnational studies.

The upcoming Billy Joel concert scheduled to take place at New Era Field in Orchard Park on Saturday, Aug. 15, has been rescheduled to Saturday, Aug. 14, 2021. Tickets purchased for the 2020 concert will be honored on the rescheduled date.

Catholic Health is finalizing a plan to safely welcome visitors back to its hospitals on Saturday, June 20. Current visitor restrictions will remain in effect until that time. New processes and guidelines are being finalized based on directives issued Wednesday by the New York State Department of Health (DOH), which include limited visiting hours, limits on the number of visitors at one time, required facial masking, and health screenings for all visitors.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Small Business Administration, in consultation with the U.S. Department of the Treasury, posted a revised, user-friendly Paycheck Protection Program loan forgiveness application implementing the PPP Flexibility Act of 2020. In addition to revising the full forgiveness application, the SBA also published a new "EZ" version of the forgiveness application applying to borrowers who:

On a special edition of HBO's "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel," the franchise examines how systemic racial injustice and the COVID-19 pandemic have converged to create an unprecedented moment in sports, when an all-new episode premieres Tuesday, June 23 (10 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO.