WLVL Local News

Aldermen in Lockport were encouraged by the 2024 city audit figures provided last week. The short presentation by Jermey Smith, CPA, showed that last year’s revenue had increased over the previous year as a result of an increase in total property taxes and departmental income.

A Niagara Falls man was found guilty of second-degree murder in a fatal stabbing in September 2022. Al Villane, 35, was found guilty by a jury of stabbing 47-year-old Hollis Stewart, of Niagara Falls, on Sept. 19 in a residence on the 700 block of 20th Street in Niagara Falls, officials said.

Three people from Buffalo were charged and another suspect is still on the loose after they allegedly broke into a home in Orchard Park, assaulted a person, and stole property worth over $30,000.

A Tonawanda man, 43 year old Detrick Gray, has been found guilty of four different charges in connection to shooting a victim during an auto repair dispute in 2023.

A pair of cyclists undertaking a cross-country Ride Against War on Gaza stopped in Lockport on Wednesday to talk up their cause while refueling at Scripts Cafe.

Erie County Sheriff’s chief of narcotics Daniel J. Granville’s criminal case is resolved, but how much he pays in restitution remains up in the air. Reports indicate it could be as much as $65,000.

Lockport common council recently approved a $20 million bond resolution and the state environmental quality review (SEQR) for inventory and replacement grants for the city to proceed with its federally mandated replacement of lead water pipes with copper.

The future of Route 198 — the Scajaquada Expressway — remains unknown. A letter from lawmakers to the Buffalo Niagara Regional Transportation Council, urges the council to delay its vote on the 2026-2030 Transportation Improvement Plan to January of 2026, since the current plan suggests cutting $100 million from the project.

A North Tonawanda man was arraigned on an indictment charging him with murder after he allegedly shot and killed 19 year old Donovan Miller when he was 16 years old in 2021. His name won’t be released while the case remains in Youth Part Court.

The Lake Mariner Data Center is going through another round of site expansion, this time to add another artificial intelligence data center building.
Operator Terawulf is eyeing 30 acres directly south.

Lockport common council recently approved a $20 million bond resolution and the state environmental quality review (SEQR) for inventory and replacement grants for the city to proceed with its federally mandated replacement of lead water pipes with copper.

A priority sewer line repair under Lincoln Avenue in Lockport that required work when school is out of session will not be completed this year due to funding.

The Erie County Sheriff’s Office chief of narcotics will keep his job after he pleaded guilty to reckless driving after a series of hit-and-runs with a county-owned vehicle last April. D.J. Granville was suspended for 30 days without pay.

A Buffalo man, 50 year old Wayne Paveljack, received the maximum sentence on Tuesday after he engaged in sexual conduct with a child for over four years, according to the Erie County District Attorney’s Office.

The empty lots where The Old Pink and Mulligan’s Brick Bar once stood were sold to Roche Development. The Old Pink land for $200,000 while the Mulligan’s lot was $180,000.

North Tonawanda man, 31 year old Anthony Mayo, pleaded guilty on Monday to injuring a pedestrian in a hit-and-run and driving while intoxicated in December near Highmark Stadium.

30 year old Latrice Purdy of Buffalo Monday admitted to fatally shooting a man in October 2024 in the Broadway-Fillmore neighborhood, pleading guilty to one count of second-degree murder and one count of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon.

A task force of law enforcement agencies is on the hunt for Barinder Singh of Niagara Falls, charged with deliberately setting a homeless woman on fire outside his Niagara Street food truck, after he failed to appear for a conference in Niagara County Court on Friday

Loved ones of family members laid to rest at St. Joseph Cemetery in Niagara Falls are calling for urgent change, citing unsafe and disrespectful conditions in and around burial sites.

Erie County Health officials are reminding parents of state-required vaccinations for students, and there are plenty of places to get them. Go to buffaloschools.org to find out more.

Loved ones of family members laid to rest at St. Joseph Cemetery in Niagara Falls are calling for urgent change, citing unsafe and disrespectful conditions in and around burial sites.

Ahead of the upcoming school year, Erie County Health officials are reminding parents of state-required vaccinations for students, and there are plenty of places to get them. Go to buffaloschools.org to find out more.

Officials with SUNY Niagara and SUNY Alfred State College of Technology signed an agreement Monday providing community college mechanical engineering students guaranteed admission to Alfred’s bachelor’s degree program.

A North Tonawanda woman, 43 year old Amber Clark, is headed to state prison for her conviction on charges stemming from a hit-and-run accident involving an e-bicyclist in the area of Niagara Falls Boulevard and 47th Street in the Falls on Sept. 20.

Some residents in West Seneca have concerns about crews are converting the intersection of Orchard Park Road and Fisher Road into a brand new roundabout.

A pedestrian died after he was reportedly struck by a tractor-trailer early Monday morning on I-90 near the Hamburg exit.

Cheektowaga Police have released body cam footage from the incident last week where officers shot and killed a man they say lunged at them with a knife.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District, is leading a multi-faceted effort to control the invasive aquatic plant Hydrilla and protect the health of the Great Lakes Basin ecosystem and the communities that depend on it.

Gov. Kathy Hochul has announced T the launch of a website — ny.gov/phonefree — that enables New York parents and students to look up their school’s plan for implementing bell-to-bell smartphone restrictions this fall.

A million dollars won’t get you a starter home in hundreds of U.S. cities — but in four major metros, it’s still enough for a mansion. In Buffalo, Indianapolis, Cleveland and Memphis, a massive home still costs less than $1 million, according to a new Zillow analysis.

The Erie County Sheriff’s Office chief of narcotics pleaded guilty Friday to charges of reckless driving and leaving the scene of an accident following a string of hit-and-runs last April. Chief D.J. Granville was sentenced to 50 hours of community service and a $600 fine.

A fire at a home in Clarence has caused nearly $115,000 in damage. Around 11:47 p.m. on Saturday, August 16, fire crews responded to a home at 4147 Circle Court for multiple reports of a structure fire.

The former Summit Park Mall, mostly vacant and home to Niagara International Sports & Entertainment, has been eyed as the site for another data center in Niagara County.

Preliminary work is soon to begin on building new Marine Drive apartments in downtown Buffalo near Canalside. However, before construction can commence, archaeologists from the University at Buffalo are conducting an important and historic dig.

After Puerto Rican flags were taken from Niagara Street last weekend, hundreds of them were seen proudly waving once again during the Puerto Rican and Hispanic Day Parade on Saturday – including a few that had been stolen, organizers confirmed.

No one won the Powerball jackpot Wednesday, pushing the total to $565 million for Saturday’s drawing. While there was no jackpot winner, three tickets – one each from New Hampshire, Oregon and Texas – won the $1 million prize for matching all five regular numbers. Players have the ability to win a maximum of $2 million if they match all five regular numbers with a red Powerball number of two or above.
Firefighters battled a structure fire in Salamanca last night.The fire broke out Saturday evening at 4069 Killbuck Road.The Salamanca Fire Department said they are being assisted by Seneca Fire, Killbuck Fire Department, Little Valley Fire Department, Allegany Fire Department, Limestone Fire Department, and Ellicottville Fire Department. No injuries have been reported and the cause of the first is under investigation.

Canada’s government forced Air Canada and its striking flight attendants back to work and into arbitration Saturday after a work stoppage stranded more than 100,000 travelers around the world during the peak summer travel season. Federal Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu said now is not the time to take risks with the economy, noting the unprecedented tariffs the U.S. has imposed on Canada. The intervention means the 10,000 flight attendants will return to work soon.
The Buffalo Police department is looking for help to find 16-year-old Destiny Keller of Buffalo. Keller was last seen in the area of Broadway and Gatchell Street in Buffalo, wearing a black hoodie, a white t-shirt and blue/green pajama pants. Keller is approximately 5’7″ with red/pink hair. Anyone with information is asked to call 911.

Firefighters are investigating a house fire in West Seneca. The fire started just before 1 p.m. Friday on Crofton Drive. While investigators are still looking into the cause of the fire, they believe it might have started in the Kitchen. No one was home at the time of the fire, according to firefighters. However, two dogs were unable to be saved. Orchard Park firefighters also assisted West Seneca in battle the fire.
New York Attorney General Letitia James is demanding Instagram to take immediate action to ensure minors can’t turn on location sharing. According to the Attorney General’s Office, Instagram made a change to its platform that allows users, including minors, to share detailed, real-time locations on a map. In a letter sent to Instagram, Attorney General James and a coalition of 37 attorneys general argue that the new location sharing feature creates serious public safety and data privacy concerns.