Current News

Two Lewiston businesses originally slated to become part of the renovated Fourth and Center streets complex are moving. The owners of Brewed and Bottled Craft Beer Shop and Sgt. Peppers Hot Sauces said the corner's concept just wasn't the right fit for them. As such, they're headed to 442-444 Center, a property developed by attorney and Town of Lewiston Councilman Alfonso Marra Bax.

The Lewiston Town Board held its annual reorganization meeting this week, setting the stage for town operations in 2020. This marked the first official meeting by newly elected board member Jason Myers.

Community Ed is alive and well at Lewiston-Porter.

The New York State Thruway Authority has announced cashless tolling customer assistance sessions will continue in 2020 at the Western New York Welcome Center on the first Tuesday of each month.

The Grand Island Chamber of Commerce has announced the second annual State of the Town and Schools event.

In its first meeting of 2020, the Grand Island Town Board issued proclamations to two cornerstones of the town court.

Approximately 4,500 town and county tax bills are now in the mail thanks to the volunteer work of members of the Golden Age Club at the town's Golden Age Center.

Legislator Kevin Hardwick has announced that the Island Dispatch will again serve as one of the official newspapers of Erie County for the 2020 legislative year.

The Thruway Authority is moving ahead with a proposal to adjust tolls on the Thruway beginning Jan. 1, 2021 -- the first since 2010 -- after we have converted to cashless tolling system-wide by the end of 2020. I want to further clarify what this means for motorists in Western New York, and how the proposed changes will impact our customers.

The concept was simple. Find a rock, decorate it, then hide it again. Soon, someone else will find it and take a picture, then hide it, too. A fun game in cities across the U.S. hit WNY in 2017 when Kimberly LaRussa, a local blogger of a website called Sweet Buffalo, was introduced to it by a friend in Florida. She said it seemed like a fun activity for the long winter, but couldn't have imagined what it would become.

At the City of North Tonawanda reorganization meeting, board members paused to ask Mark Berube to come forward and accept a plaque for his service.

Animal welfare advocates from the Voices for Shelter Animals group spoke out recently in regard to an investigation conducted at the Niagara SPCA by former Erie County SPCA Executive Director Barbara Carr, and Libby Post, executive director of New York State Animal Protection Federation. They called it a conflict of interest.

It's getting pretty cold out and, with the harsh weather, comes several charitable organizations looking to serve those who have the least. There is one group that is undeniably at risk and it's not even our species. In a word: Cats.

Grammy-winning pop superstar Tori Kelly joins Grammy-nominated Bethel Music singer/songwriter Cory Asbury for a brand-new recording of Asbury's 2018 genre-defying megahit, "Reckless Love." Now available on streaming platforms, the reimagined rendition coincides with the release of Asbury's Charisma House devotional, "Reckless Love: A 40-Day Journey Into the Overwhelming, Never-Ending Love of God."

TobyMac is back with new music. A press release from The Media Collective reads:

A key songwriter for today's church, multi-Grammy Award and GMA Dove Award-winning singer, songwriter and worship leader Matt Redman announces the release of "Let There Be Wonder" on Jan. 31. The anticipated album, Redman's 14th career project and his first with Integrity Music, is now available for pre-order. With each advance order, the songs "The Same Jesus" and "We Praise You" are available as instant downloads. Click here for further details. Additionally, a live video for "We Praise You" debuts today.

Girl Scouts of Western New York will host a 12-hour membership drive called the Girl Scout "Join-a-Thon," and offer unique incentives to both adults and girls who register from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 15. Throughout the day, GSWNY will take on-the-spot registrations over the phone and in-person registrations during normal business hours.

Buffalo State College continued its climb in CollegeNET's social mobility index national rankings, advancing 50 spots - to No. 32 out of 1,458 benchmarked colleges and universities - in the most recent assessment.

In recognition of the National Day of Service on Monday, Jan. 20, which also happens to be Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Explore & More - The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Children's Museum and BankOnBuffalo have partnered to collect winter clothing items (new hats, mittens and socks) for the children residing at Gerard Place.

Visit WilsonNY (formerly known as Wilson Community Tourism), serving the Town and Village of Wilson, elected a new slate of officers with their terms beginning on Jan. 1.

The Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo is now accepting letters of intent for its 2020 competitive grant process through 4 p.m. Feb. 3. Interested organizations should read the detailed guidelines/additional information before submitting a letter of intent. A link to the guidelines can be found at https://www.cfgb.org/nonprofits/grants/community-foundation/.

Local businesses, organizations and schools are invited to participate in Hospice Buffalo's 34th annual Hospice Spring Bouquet Sale for the pre-sale phase held in January and February. Participants simply assign a coordinator from their organization to take their employees' bouquet orders. Bouquets will be delivered right to one's door for distribution.

January is National Cervical Health Awareness Month, and the Erie County Department of Health is reminding women that screening and vaccination are important tools to detect and prevent cervical cancer.

The Lake Ontario Preparedness Group met Thursday in Porter Town Hall to hear updates on local tourism initiatives, and to jointly sign a resolution opposing the International Joint Commission's Plan 2014.

U.S. Term Limits (USTL), a leader in the nonpartisan national movement to limit terms for elected officials, praised 2020 U.S. House candidate for New York (District 27), Robert Ortt, for signing the pledge for an amendment to term limit Congress. Previously, candidates Beth Parlato and Chris Jacobs also signed the pledge. The primary election is scheduled for June 23.

Just two days after the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards, the Recording Academy, AEG Ehrlich Ventures and CBS will celebrate the unparalleled career of 38-time Grammy nominee and seven-time Grammy winner Prince by presenting Let's Go Crazy: The Grammy Salute to Prince. The live concert will take place at 7:30 p.m. PT Tuesday, Jan. 28, at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The special will be broadcast later in 2020 on the CBS Television Network.

Logan Browning and award nominee Joey King have been named ambassadors for the 26th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards. In this special role, each will participate in various SAG Awards pre-show events and share their insider's view via social media.

The Graycliff Conservancy announced the appointment of local arts and culture authority Anna Kaplan as new executive director of Graycliff.

At 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 29, the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and EarShot, the National Orchestral Composition Discovery Network, present readings of new works by four emerging composers at Kleinhans Music Hall.

Lee Greenwood is taking his catalog of seven No. 1 singles, 20 Top 10 singles, and 38 hit singles to stages across North America as embarks on "The Hits Tour 2020," presented by ABC Supply Co. Inc.

A. Scott Weber has been named provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at the University at Buffalo following an international search launched in September.

The American Red Cross currently has a critical need for blood donors of all blood types - especially type O - and platelet donors to make an appointment now to give and help replenish the blood supply after the holiday weeks. Right now, the Red Cross has less than a three-day supply of type O blood. To help tackle the critical need, the Red Cross and NFL are working together to offer one lucky winner a trip to Super Bowl LIV in Miami.

U.S. Navy Boatswain's Mate Seaman Daniel Cordner of Buffalo heaves around a bale of line in the fo'c'sle aboard the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) in Norfolk, Virginia. The John C. Stennis is conducting routine operations in support of Commander, Naval Air Force Atlantic.

Kendra Scott has partnered with Columbia Records to launch the "Radiant" playlist, which is dedicated to spotlighting the best rising stars in female pop music. In support of the partnership, Kendra Scott invites customers to follow the "Radiant" playlist on Spotify or Apple Music to receive 15% off their purchase in any one of the 100-plus Kendra Scott stores nationwide. The partnership and promotion will conclude on Feb. 6.

Just days into a new year and decade, thoughts of area fishers and outdoors aficionados are already turning to warmer weather. We have to admit that winter 2019-20 is already getting on our nerves; the holidays are thankfully over and the Bills short run at the playoffs is now history.

Earlier this season, BTS wondered aloud if it was time for Det. Jay Halstead (Jesse Lee Soffer) to leave Sgt. Hank Voight's (Jason Beghe) intelligence unit.

ABC is bringing back the classic TV game show "Supermarket Sweep," hosted and executive produced by Emmy Award-nominated comedienne and actress Leslie Jones. Produced by Fremantle, the fast-paced and energetic series follows three teams of two as they battle it out using their grocery shopping skills and knowledge of merchandise to win big cash prizes.

"thirtysomething(else)," a sequel to the groundbreaking series "thirtysomething," has received a pilot pickup from ABC. The show will follow an ensemble of new faces playing the grown-up, 30-something children of the original cast reprised by Ken Olin (Michael Steadman), Mel Harris (Hope Murdoch), Timothy Busfield (Elliot Weston) and Patty Wettig (Nancy Weston).

In celebration of the 20th anniversary of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire," which debuted in the U.S. as a primetime series in January 2000, ABC's celebrated late-night staple and Emmy Award-winning producer Jimmy Kimmel will be stepping in as host of a special run of episodes featuring celebrity contestants playing for charity.

Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center has been awarded a Comprehensive Center accreditation by Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program, in partnership with the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. A MBSAQIP accreditation formally acknowledges NFMMC's commitment to providing and supporting quality improvement and patient safety efforts for metabolic and bariatric surgery patients.