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The Buffalo Police Department is asking for the public’s help to find a missing child. Buffalo Police say that 14-year-old Ja’nia Batch was last seen wearing black pants, a black shirt, and a zip-up black hoodie, but police say she may have changed clothes. She has brown nose piercing and pink, blue, and blonde highlights in her hair. Police list her at 5 feet, 2 inches.

Ski mountaineering, known as “ski-mo,” makes its Olympic debut at the 2026 Winter Games in Milan-Cortina, bringing a sport rooted in human survival and military necessity into the global spotlight. Competitive events, including sprint races and a mixed-gender relay, will be held in Bormio.

A chimney fire at an East Amherst home caused significant damage Saturday morning after fire officials say it spread to the roof and attic. Multiple fire companies, including Swormville Fire and the East Amherst Fire Company responded around 7:00 a.m. Saturday. By the time firefighters arrived, the flames had spread to the second floor and the attic of the home. It took them less than 30 minutes to extinguish.

The Buffalo Bills have officially sold out their Personal Seat License (PSL) inventory for the new Highmark Stadium, marking a major milestone as anticipation continues to build for the team’s future home. While many fans were unable to secure a PSL, the team is urging those fans to remain on the New Highmark Stadium priority list, as it may still provide future opportunities to attend games.

A house fire on Christmas Eve left a Hartland family displaced and destroyed their home, The home belongs to James Minner, his wife, and their four children. Minner is a Hartland town justice and chaplain with the Hartland Volunteer Fire Company. His wife served as the fire company steward, and some of their children also participate in the junior fire program. The community has stepped in to help the family, who were left with nothing but the clothes on their backs on Christmas morning. A GoFundMe has been set up by a relative. If you’d like to donate another way, contact the Heartland volunteer fire company.

Governor Kathy Hochul and New York State lawmakers are taking aim at social media features, they say are causing a youth mental health crisis. Newly signed legislation requires warning labels on social media platforms that use features like infinite scroll, autoplay, and addictive feeds. They appear when a user first encounters the feature and again after continued use. State leaders point to studies showing teens who spend more than three hours a day on social media face double the risk of anxiety and depression.

10 Niagara County projects have received a combined $10.17 million in funds, ranging from new residential developments to marketing campaigns for local businesses and Niagara Falls. Redeveloping the Rapids Theatre and new residential redevelopments on Niagara Falls’ Main Street and Tonawanda Island are some of the local projects that received state funding.

The Lewiston Town Board approved a six-month moratorium on approving new mobile home parks, campgrounds, and cemeteries at its meeting this week.

An incarcerated woman at the Niagara County Correctional Facility is facing a new criminal charge after allegedly spitting on a correctional officer during routine rounds Wednesday morning. 24-year-old Barbara A. Rodgers was arrested inside the jail around 9:13 a.m. Wednesday following the incident.

A crash involving a Roswell Park Public Safety vehicle caused traffic delays on Route 33 East on Christmas Eve.

Doctors at Oishei Children’s Hospital say this flu season is shaping up to be one of the most severe they’ve seen in years, with a sharp increase in pediatric cases across Western New York.

10 Niagara County projects have received a combined $10.17 million in funds, ranging from new residential developments to marketing campaigns for local businesses and Niagara Falls. Redeveloping the Rapids Theatre and new residential redevelopments on Niagara Falls’ Main Street and Tonawanda Island are some of the local projects that received state funding.

Progress on Lockport development remains uncertain as several projects that received state Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) funds remain in limbo. Planning for future DRI grants will wait another year because projects received grant extensions until February 2027.

Volunteers gathered at the Niagara Gospel Mission to open their hearts. Around 300 volunteers gathered to prepare and deliver meals to those in need across Niagara Falls. In total around 1,800 meals were prepared and delivered throughout the city, many brought directly to people’s homes.

A Hartland Volunteer Fire Company chaplain’s family was displaced by a Christmas Eve house fire.
Several animals are believed to have died in the fire at 3484 Stone Rd. in Hartland, the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office reported, and the house is believed to be a total loss.

Lockport native Brian Keleher is just one race away from finishing all six World Marathon Majors.

Last week, the Common Council voted to accept insurance payments to repair its damaged septic vacuum truck, while the Town of Lockport had already purchased the new model the city had ordered but cancelled.

A Buffalo man was arraigned on new charges Tuesday for allegedly striking and killing his girlfriend in Cheektowaga last month, according to the Erie County District Attorney’s Office. Gary Green Jr., 37, is accused of killing 32-year-old Alexis Navaroli by shooting her with an illegal handgun after hitting her with his vehicle.

The Seneca Nation is returning more than 200 acres of its ancestral homelands to Nation ownership, thanks to a donation agreement with a local developer.
William and Michael Huntress, owners of Acquest Development, are transferring title to 207 acres of land in the Town of Grand Island to the Nation for $1.

After eight years away, the Thunder of Niagara Air Show will return to Niagara County skies this summer. The show will take place Father’s Day weekend, June 20 to 21, on the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station grounds.

A new, coordinated effort to address homelessness is underway in Lockport with the formation of the Lockport Homeless Alliance, a group comprising local leaders, advocates, and residents who say the problem is growing and requires a more unified response.

Community members pitched in almost $14,000 in the third week of the holiday season-timed fund drive for Sister Mary Loretto Memorial Community Soup Kitchen. As of Dec. 19, the fundraising total stood at $27,933. The goal set by the Lockport Salvation Army is $50,000.

A Buffalo man, 37 year old Gary Green Jr., was arraigned on new charges Tuesday for allegedly striking and killing his girlfriend in Cheektowaga last month, according to the Erie County District Attorney’s Office.

A teenager was killed after he was struck by a pickup truck Thursday night, according to West Seneca Police. Around 9:30 p.m., police said they responded to Clinton Street near Maplewood Avenue where 16-year-old Paul Alvarez had been hit.

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, running back James Cook, and left tackle Dion Dawkins have been selected for the 2026 Pro Bowl Games