Current News

Grand Islanders and Western New York boat lovers with an interest in the vessels of yesteryear will need to check out the Buffalo Launch Club next month.

Jamie Symmonds' Lewiston Artisan Market has grown since its June debut in Academy Park.

To say Melissa Morinello is trying her hand at something new is an understatement.

Kate Fowler, below, left, executive director of the It Happened to Alexa Foundation, chats with visitors last Sunday at Buffalo Riverworks about the upcoming IHTAF Great Contraption Race, set for Saturday, Aug. 18, on the Buffalo River.

Ellen DeNormand says her husband, David, is the reason she's in business.

Residents of Grand Island are invited to join over 38 million neighbors across approximately 16,000 communities from all 50 states, U.S. territories and military bases worldwide for National Night Out, an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live.

The Solarize Grand Island campaign is well underway. The campaign has signed up over 60 residents for free evaluations. The campaign has held three workshop events and four table events throughout June and July with more planned.

Trinity United Methodist Church welcomed a new leader with the introduction of Pastor Kevin D. Slough.

Island native Dale Loder passed away peacefully June 4 in Lutz, Florida. He is survived by his loving daughter, Audrey (Ryan) Shaw, and his granddaughter Caitlin, who he adored. He is also survived by his father, Donald; his siblings: Donald Jr. (Karen), Diane (William) Kerner, Douglas (Patricia); and his nieces and nephews. His mother, Dorothy, predeceased him.

Changes are coming to DeGlopper Park at the corner of Baseline Road and Grand Island Boulevard in the next few months.

For the second year in a row, a record number of participants took part in Paddles Up Niagara.

Duo Angela Ziegler and Ron LoCurto performed Sunday at Casey's Cabana in Ferry Village in the eatery's debut of "Singing Sundae." Casey's Cabana launched Casey's Creamery, offering hard ice cream, milkshakes and ice cream sundaes.

Three events at the Island Ship Center are now becoming popular autumn/winter get-togethers at the Grand Island's Spa of Shipping.

Heralded by a debut single ("Broken Prayers") that raked in 16 million streams earlier this year, Riley Clemmons is dropping her anticipated self-titled debut with Capitol CMG today.

FOX has ordered the new celebrity competition series "The Masked Singer," to premiere in January 2019. Based on an international hit, which already is a viral phenomenon with more than half a billion fans worldwide, and the No. 1 top-trending video of 2017 on YouTube, "The Masked Singer" features celebrities facing off against one another with one major twist: Each singer is shrouded from head to toe in an elaborate costume, complete with full face mask to conceal his or her identity.

"Living Hope," the newest from worship leader Phil Wickham, is available today.

The Corning Museum of Glass (CMoG) GlassBarge tour arrived at Canalside on Friday. The 2018 GlassBarge tour will be docked at Canalside from Aug. 3-5. As the 2018 signature event for the statewide celebration of the Erie Canal Bicentennial, GlassBarge will offer free public glassmaking demonstrations during its visit.

Tickets are currently available for the 2018 Ontario Hockey League Preseason Showcase at Harborcenter. The Erie Otters, Flint Firebirds, Hamilton Bulldogs and Windsor Spitfires will visit Harborcenter over Labor Day Weekend and compete in a three-day round robin.

Caitlin Fager, the membership and event manager at the Niagara River Region Chamber of Commerce, has been chosen to participate in the 2018 Cystic Fibrosis Rising Star Leadership Program.

Iconic Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame inductees Lynyrd Skynyrd will release "Live in Atlantic City" on Sept. 21. The band's brand-new live release pays tribute to and celebrates the band's legacy with the help of three guest artists.

Pegula Sports and Entertainment announced a partnership between the Buffalo Bills and Rally that will bring crowd-powered travel to Bills fans on gameday. Rally has become the "Official Fan Shuttle of the Buffalo Bills" and will provide shared bus rides for fans from across Western New York to games and events at New Era Field, beginning with the Bills preseason opener Thursday, Aug. 9, against Carolina.

Artpark & Company will stage "The Odyssey" this weekend.

But have you ever heard the story behind "Donuts the Clown?"

On Friday evening, July 27, Town of Porter resident Eric Olds-Reid, 37, was the victim of a tragic ATV accident on Youngstown Wilson Road. He was taken via Mercy Flight to ECMC in Buffalo, where he succumbed to his injuries the following morning.

When carb-loving comedian Tom Papa isn't doing stand-up, he is probably eating, thinking about or making bread (his specialty is sourdough). He takes his passion for baked goods to the next level in the new Food Network series "Baked."

Seemingly, Lindsey Stirling went from being the only pirate at the party to a pop-culture princess right before our eyes on last fall's "Dancing with the Stars."

The Buffalo Sabres on Thursday announced the team acquired forward Jeff Skinner from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for forward Cliff Pu, a second-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, a third-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft and a sixth-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft.

Niagara County Community College sponsored a new initiative this summer to empower girls as part of the Future Leaders Liberty Partnerships Program. Becoming Wonder Woman focuses on supporting students with life and social skills, mentoring, leadership, service learning, community service, wellness, and social and emotional development.

Starpoint 11th grader, Sara Danwin's fascination for dragons has proven to be very lucrative for her. Using an oven bake polymer clay called Sculpey, the 15-year-old artist has been sculpting the mythical creatures and selling them at local craft fairs. At this year's annual Starpoint Art and Craft Fair alone, she made over $500. 

Kelsey Tylec, 14, and a freshman at Niagara-Wheatfield High School; and Cassie Thayse, 14, freshman at Penfield High School, participated in the 14 and under division of the USAV Junior Beach Volleyball National Championships in Siesta Key, Florida, from July 24-26.

The following is a list of events from the North Tonawanda Public Library, 505 Meadow Drive, North Tonawanda.

On Saturday, July 7, Reclaim Niagara, a group of citizens "dedicated to exposing the injustices faced by Niagara Falls due to the exploitation of resources by public authorities and state entities," according to the movement's website, held their second rally of the summer.

The McGuire Group, operator of five health care facilities in Western New York, announced that Amanda Dudek of Hamburg celebrated her five-year employment anniversary with the company.

Join the Chamber of Commerce of the Tonawandas and DeGraff Memorial Hospital from 4-9 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 15, at Shores Waterfront Restaurant located at 2 Detroit St., North Tonawanda, for their first "Rockin' on the River" summer charity event.

Last Thursday, the Strictly Hip jammed out at Gratwick Riverside Park. The show was the fifth of the Thursdays on the Water concert series in North Tonawanda.

On Saturday and Sunday, locals from all over Niagara County visited the Sanborn-Lewiston Farm Museum, 2660 Saunders Settlement Road, Sanborn, for the 14th annual Sanborn-Lewiston Farm Festival.

Tuesday night, the 2017-18 Niagara County Peach Queen Jamie Hagerty held a Paint Night fundraiser to raise money for Hillside Family of Agencies.

BankOnBuffalo, which has been highly successful with its personalized banking approach since launching almost two years ago, opened its fourth branch location Wednesday, and its first in Niagara County at 6947 Williams Road in the Town of Wheatfield.

A surcharge that drew the ire of some Village of Lewiston residents has been permanently removed. Late Wednesday afternoon, The Silo Restaurant proprietor Alan Hastings said his business will stop charging customers a 2 percent fee that was initiated when the 2018 season began in May.

New York State Sen. Chris Jacobs on Wednesday announced he secured $50,000 in state funds to support the implementation of a high school student ambassador program in the City of Buffalo. Developed by the Independent Health Foundation and Western New York United Against Drug and Alcohol Abuse, the pilot program is patterned after the successful Leadership in Training (LIT) middle school program.