Current News

Kingdom Bound was the epicenter of love, kindness, forgiveness and, yes, tolerance. It didn't matter who showed up - what they wore, who they dated, mistakes they'd made - everyone was greeted warmly, and given encouragement to live their best life.

When Kingdom Bound Ministries Executive Director Donna Russo said, "As I was preparing for the (Kingdom Bound) festival, I felt the Lord bring me to James 1:22, 'But be doers of the word, and not hearers only,' " then she was probably expecting something along the lines of Matthew 22.

So, if 2+2 = 4 - if Jesus said to love people, and Russo sought to encourage folks to act on his words - then Kingdom Bound should've been a place of acceptance.

Wednesday night, several local Class of 2019 high school football players represented their respective programs in the 44th Kensington Lions All-Star High School Football Classic at Williamsville South High School.

Fearing thunderstorms would postpone (or worse, cancel) Tuesday's outdoor concert with Chris Isaak, Artpark & Company officials moved the show into the Mainstage Theater. It was a smart move, as the colors of the concert hall matched perfectly with the singer's colorful production - not to mention his outfit and the duds of his traveling troubadours.

The staff of Assemblyman Angelo J. Morinello will hold mobile office hours from 1 to 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 14, at the Wheatfield Community/Senior Center, 2790 Church Road, and from 10 a.m. to noon Tuesday, Aug. 6 and 20, at the Grand Island Town Hall, 2255 Baseline Road.

The second concert of the Thursday night Wheatfield Towers Concert Series will be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 1. The featured act is the Celtic Circle Ceilidh Band performing music of the British Isles and seafaring songs.   

Empire State Wrestling returns to the St. Johnsburg fire hall, 7165 Ward Road, North Tonawanda, on Saturday, Aug. 17, for "Hit Me With Your Best Shot." Pre-sale general admission tickets are $15. Tickets increase $5 the day of event. Front and second row tickets are sold out. Doors open at 5 p.m. with bell-time at 6 p.m. "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" will be recorded for ESW's streaming service partners. 

Town of Lewiston Supervisor Steve Broderick was given a citation from the Sanborn Area Historical Society at the Sanborn-Lewiston Farm Museum Festival for providing the society help financing a feasibility study; purchasing the farm in 2002; continuing to support it over the years, including this year; completing the museum's parking lot and connecting the venue to the town sewers, allowing the Sanborn-Lewiston Farm Museum to be open all year for the first time.

Alyssa Strangio, 11, is a sixth-grader at Edward Town Middle School and a Wheatfield resident. Alyssa's first pageant was when she was 5 years old, where she won the Peach Blossom in 2014 at the Lewiston Kiwanis Peach Festival. 

Ever since she was selected as the 2018 Lewiston Kiwanis Peach Queen, Santana Sawma has been dedicated to raising money for Dog Tags New York.  On Sunday, she will continue her mission, and she's calling on the community to help her out. 

Vans, the iconic action sports footwear and lifestyle brand, is making its debut at Macerich's Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls USA with a grand opening on Thursday, Aug. 1 - just in time for back-to-school shopping.

The Niagara Power, of the New York Collegiate Baseball League, defeated the Cortland Crush, 12-6, in the second game of a three-game series to take home the league title. 

If you, a parent or someone close is looking for affordable housing, People Inc. Senior Living locations are available. To showcase its apartment building, People Inc. Willow Senior Living will have an open house and multi-family yard sale on from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, Aug. 2, at 3990 Forest Parkway in Wheatfield (between Shawnee and Townline roads, off Niagara Falls Boulevard).

Another year of the Porter Cup has come and gone at the Niagara Falls Country Club. In the 61st edition of the prestigious tournament, Aiden Didone of Melbourne, Australia, walked away victorious. 

In advance of Purple Heart Day, Congressman Brian Higgins is honoring Western New York Purple Heart recipients, including a formal presentation of three Purple Heart medals and a Bronze Star to U.S. Army Sgt. First Class William Roland Hayes for service and injuries sustained during the Vietnam War.

Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn was selected to serve as vice president for the National District Attorneys Association (NDAA). The announcement was made Saturday at the organization's annual Summer Summit in Quebec City, Quebec.

From 7-9 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 1, the Buffalo Firefighters will hold their annual fill the boot program, with this year's proceeds going to the Spinal Muscular Atrophy Research Team (SMART).

The board of associates of Mount St. Mary's Hospital presented a check in the amount of $29,000 to the Mount St. Mary's Hospital Foundation from the proceeds from its 39th annual Louis J. Fernandez Golf Classic. The event took place Monday at the Niagara Frontier Golf Club and included more than 124 golfers.

Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn announced the establishment of the community dispute resolution program (CDR) in Buffalo City Court, a restorative justice alternative to criminal proceedings to resolve issues between parties. The diversion program will utilize mediation and conflict coaching to facilitate conversations between a complainant and defendant with a neutral third party to identify issues, clarify perceptions, and explore options for an acceptable resolution.

"Alive," the new single from Curb | Word Entertainment award-winning band Big Daddy Weave, has hit No. 1 at radio. The song tops both the Billboard Christian airplay and Billboard Christian AC charts and adds yet another chart-topping song to their numerous career accolades.

As the hot and humid weather lingers over upstate New York this week, weather forecasters are calling for strong winds and thunderstorms in portions of the region today and tomorrow. National Grid is monitoring the weather and crews remain at the ready if the storms impact service to customers.

The New York Power Authority trustees on Tuesday elected Adam Barsky as executive vice president and chief financial officer. Barsky will be responsible for overseeing the financial operations of the statewide public power utility, which owns and operates 16 power plants and more than 1,400 circuit-miles of transmission lines.

Earlier this month, the team at J. Fitzgerald Group in Lockport gave up a night's sleep to give so much more back to five deserving nonprofit organizations during the 12th annual CreateAthon event.

With tonight's forecast spotty and calling for thunderstorms, Artpark & Company is moving its "Tuesdays in the Park" concert inside - into the Mainstage Theater.

The Pieroni household in Youngstown hosted the 8th annual pug picnic. Pugs came from Canada and across Western New York for the fun annual event.

While Alzheimer's disease currently cannot be prevented or slowed, there are steps to take and recommendations to follow in the areas of diet and nutrition, exercise and cognitive activity that promote healthy aging.

The Niagara County Department of Health is providing a cool, private breastfeeding and baby changing station at the Niagara County Fair.

M&T Bank announced the launch of "M&T Money Smart" in its digital banking platform and mobile app. "Money Smart" is an all-in-one digital tool that helps users manage their finances and make smart financial decisions.

Actress, producer, singer and seven-time Teen Choice winner Lucy Hale will host Teen Choice 2019, with digital star and TV personality David Dobrik serving as co-host. Celebrating today's hottest stars in TV, music, film and social media, the star-studded two-hour live event airs, for the first time in Teen Choice history, from Hermosa Beach on Sunday, Aug. 11 (8 p.m. ET), on FOX.

Chance The Rapper on Monday announced his highly anticipated return to the road with "The Big Day," touching down in cities across North America this fall. The tour reveal follows the long-awaited release of his debut studio album, "The Big Day," out last Friday.

Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center will face off in a pizza challenge against "Hell's Kitchen" contestant/chef Bobby Anderson and six of his students from LaSalle Preparatory School's F BITES (Food Based Interventions with Technology Energy & Science) program. The event will take place at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 6, in the medical center's Tenth Street Café.

Like to unwind with a glass of red wine after a stressful day? Don't give alcohol all the credit.

The Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum is hosting its first gala event to benefit the museum's efforts to develop an endowment fund. The Brass Ring Gala will be held from 6-10 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 15, at Michael's Landing in North Tonawanda.

Several new physicians have joined the medical staff at Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center and are now accepting new patients.

New York Sea Grant has updated the New York Invasive Species Information Clearinghouse website at nyis.info to include iMapInvasive maps that allow for real-time information, watercraft inspection, and more user-friendly navigation.

Over the past five years, nearly 3,500 people have been killed in crashes involving teen drivers during the "100 Deadliest Days," the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day, when the number of crash fatalities involving a teen driver historically rise. We have seen multiple deadly crashes in New York state this summer.

Today's national average price for a gallon of gasoline is $2.74, down 3 cents from last week. One year ago, the price was $2.86. The New York state average is $2.87, down 2 cents from last week. A year ago, the state average was $3.01.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on Monday signed legislation (S.6579A/A.8420) further decriminalizing marijuana use in New York. His camp said the state's existing marijuana laws "disproportionately affect African American and Latino communities, and this legislation will address those racial and ethnic disparities by reducing the penalty for unlawful possession of marijuana to a violation punishable by a fine, and by creating a process for individuals who have been convicted for possessing small amounts of marijuana to have their records expunged."

The Niagara Frontier in the midst of the American Revolution will be the theme of re-enactment activities at "Soldiers of the Revolution" at Old Fort Niagara, Aug. 10-11.