News Staff

Niagara County has opted out of a New York Power Authority nuclear project touted by Gov. Kathy Hochul during an appearance in Lewiston last year.

A 15-year-old was arrested Wednesday after they allegedly pointed a laser at a helicopter, striking a pilot in the eye, in October in Buffalo, New York State Police said. A New York State Police Aviation Helicopter was struck repeatedly by a green laser the night of Oct. 16, 2025.

Lewiston police say a fire that destroyed a barn Wednesday afternoon at 2000 Saunders Settlement Road is under investigation. Emergency crews responded about 10:55 a.m. and encountered a fully involved barn with multiple exposures. The cause is under investigation.

Michael Burham, who escaped from a Pennsylvania jail in July 2023, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to murdering a Jamestown woman in May 2023, the Chautauqua County District Attorney’s Office announced.

The New York State Thruway Authority has launched its Comprehensive Safety Action Plan, a system?wide initiative to improve roadway and employee safety, strengthen emergency response and reduce serious injuries and fatalities across the 570-mile thruway system.

The Town of Lockport welcomed two new town board members this week and unanimously appointed residents to special boards to fill vacant seats.
The swearing-in of newly elected board member Jesse Snyder and newly appointed town board member Patrick Weidel set off a cascade of appointments that shifted sitting zoning and planning board members to new roles.

Lewiston police say a fire that destroyed a barn Wednesday afternoon at 2000 Saunders Settlement Road is under investigation. Emergency crews responded about 10:55 a.m. and encountered a fully involved barn with multiple exposures. The cause is under investigation.

Michael Burham, who escaped from a Pennsylvania jail in July 2023, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to murdering a Jamestown woman in May 2023, the Chautauqua County District Attorney’s Office announced.

M&T Bank will lead several “Billieve Together” Playoff Rally across Western New York on Thursday to get fans ready for the team’s upcoming Wild Card matchup against the Jaguars in Florida.

Lockport police have determined suicide as the cause of death of a 63-year-old man found dead Sunday outside Urban Park Towers. The man was located by emergency responders at the rear of 77 Main St. about 12:15 p.m. Sunday. He died after falling from the eighth floor of the building.

After recommendations from the school closure committee and a $70 million deficit, no Buffalo Public Schools will be closing this upcoming school year.

A Burt man faces a mandatory minimum prison term of 10 years following his second conviction on a charge of possessing child pornography. Cameron Gelsomino, 23, pleaded guilty to the charge Wednesday.

91-year-old Joan Lewis is dead following a car crash on William Street in Cheektowaga Tuesday afternoon. A vehicle allegedly drove across the center median on William Street near Colton Street and collided with another vehicle.

Code Blue is in effect through 8 a.m. Thursday (Jan. 8) in the city of Lockport due to forecasted overnight below-freezing temperatures.

Fire crews responded to a fire in the town of Wheatfield late Tuesday at 2507 River Rd. around 5:30 p.m. Officials said that when fire crews arrived, the residence was “fully engulfed in flames.” The cause of the fire is under investigation.

A Gasport man has been indicted on six charges stemming from his sexual relationship with a juvenile from Kentucky. A federal grand jury returned a six-count indictment against 42 year old Joshua Mahley.

Cornerstone Community Federal Credit Union will return a branch office to the city of Lockport. The credit union announced Tuesday that it will open a branch office at 118 Walnut St., last the site of an M&T Bank branch office, in late winter / early spring of this year.

Erie County lawmakers are weighing possible changes to local law after a Wegmans store in New York City posted signs alerting customers that biometric data may be used, prompting new questions about transparency in Western New York.

Sunday was the final regular season game at the current Highmark Stadium, and to mark the moment, commemorative coins were handed out to fans. Unfortunately, not everyone was able to get one – leaving members of Bills Mafia disappointed.

Wegmans says it is using facial recognition technology in “a small fraction of [their] stores,” including in New York City, for safety reasons. Retinal scans and voice prints are not collected, but facial recognition data is.

Governor Kathy Hochul vented her frustration Monday with the lack of progress in construction at Heritage Point at Canalside. The multi-million dollar project has been stagnant for nearly two years, since March 2024.

The finance department for former acting Mayor Chris Scanlon projected a $2.2M budget gap by the end of the 2025-2026 fiscal year on June 30.
City Comptroller Barbara Miller-Williams warns it could be as low as $42M and as high as $80M.

Connect Niagara, the Niagara County-run bus service, will undergo some changes to its bus routes beginning Jan. 20th. Under the new bus route schedule, the red route has been merged into the purple route in an effort to prioritize areas with stronger demand for the service.

To enhance its commitment to keeping its constituents well-informed, the Niagara Falls City School District Board of Education is providing summaries of its bi-weekly board meetings. Here are the notes from its Dec. 18 meeting.

Maintenance and modernization are the goals of a proposed capital improvement project in the Newfane school district. In advance of next week’s public vote on two separate but semi-related ballot propositions, the district is holding a public hearing at 6 p.m. today at Newfane Middle School.

Lockport Police are investigating a fatal fall from an eighth-floor window of Urban Park Towers on Sunday afternoon. The 63-year-old man fell from the window of the Main Street residences about 12:15 p.m.

Connect Niagara, the Niagara County-run bus service, will undergo some changes to its bus routes beginning Jan. 20th. Under the new bus route schedule, the red route has been merged into the purple route in an effort to prioritize areas with stronger demand for the service.

While the Bills get ready for the playoffs, fans are doing some planning of their own, hoping to turn Jacksonville into Bills Country for the wild-card round. According to AAA, as of Monday, non-direct flights from Saturday to Monday cost more than $700. Fans looking for a direct option can expect to pay closer to $900 round-trip with United Airlines.

A man is dead after he fell from a window in Lockport Sunday afternoon, according to police. The 63-year-old man fell from the eighth floor of a building on Main Street around 12:15 p.m. His name is being withheld at this time, police said. His body was transported to the Erie County Medical Examiner’s Office pending an autopsy.

Code Blue is in effect through 8 a.m. Wednesday (Jan. 7) in the city of Lockport due to forecasted overnight below-freezing temperatures, the Niagara County Department of Social Services announced.

Two teenagers have been sentenced in connection with a shooting that caused the death of a toddler and injuring his sister. Jahaan Taylor, 16, of Buffalo, a juvenile offender, was sentenced to 15 years to life in state prison. Elijah Mumford, 17, of Buffalo, was sentenced to 15 years in prison, followed by five years post-release supervision

Erie County Sheriff’s Chief of Narcotics Daniel “D.J.” Granville owes the county $75,881 in restitution for smashing into seven vehicles on two different streets in Buffalo.

The Bills with a 35-8 win over the New York Jets Sunday in what could very well have been the Bills’ final game at their 53-year-old Highmark Stadium. The Bills will enter the playoffs as the No. 6 seed in the AFC. That will put them up against the Jacksonville Jaguars – the AFC’s No. 3 seed – in the opening round of the playoffs. The game will take place in Jacksonville on Sunday, Jan. 11 at 1 p.m.

Governor Kathy Hochul was in Buffalo Sunday morning to speak to the congregation of Elim Christian Fellowship Church.

The town of Amherst is beginning a new chapter in its local government, with new leadership taking office following a swearing-in ceremony this weekend.
Shawn Lavin, a Democrat, officially began his term as Amherst town supervisor at the start of the year and was ceremonially sworn in Saturday.

With its recent grant from the Niagara County Legislature’s Cultural Endowment Fund, the Lewiston Council on the Arts will offer a new course called “The Artist’s Way: A 12-Week Creative Discovery Journey.”

A man accused of driving a car down railroad tracks in Western New York is now facing charges. The incident happened shortly past 6 p.m. on Dec. 21. Dunkirk Police responded to a 911 call from a driver who reported his vehicle was stuck, and he did not know his location, which was near railroad tracks off Light Street. Dunkirk Police said the driver, 54-year-old Michael Lemanski now faces a driving while intoxicated charge. He was also issued traffic tickets.

Police arrested a Westfield man on Christmas Eve after a reported domestic dispute escalated into an armed confrontation with officers. On Dec. 24 at a Route 20 residence, the Westfield Police Department answered a domestic disturbance call.. Police said 38-year-old Shawn Cettell became “argumentative” and went inside the residence. Police said he was “standing in the foyer area with a long gun style rifle in an aggressive manner,”.He finally put down the gun. He was charged with two felony counts of menacing a police officer and was transported to the Chautauqua County Jail for arraignment.