Sunday 7/27 headlines

The Lockport Fire Department responded to a scene of a fire at an apartment late Friday night. Firefighters were called to an apartment complex on East High Street at around 10:00pm in the City of Lockport. Firefighters saw light smoke coming from the attic of the complex, and the second floor ceiling of the building and quickly extinguished the flames.
Former Bills quarterback Doug Flutie showed off his musical talent Friday night as the Buffalo Bills Alumni Foundation hosted its first summer music festival at Wings Meeting Place in Orchard Park.Flutie joined the “Bills Alumni Blues Band” on drums, entertaining fans and supporters at the event, which brought together several former Bills players.
The body of a Grand Island woman has been recovered from the Niagara River two days after a boat collision. New York State Police on Saturday morning said the body of 46-year-old Natalie M. Sansivero was found approximately a mile from where the boating collision occurred. The body was recovered on Friday.

07-25-25 PM Headlines

Wilkeson Pointe is now open after nearly three years of restorations to the Buffalo Waterfront, Gov. Hochul announced Friday. In August 2022, a $300 million restoration project was announced for the waterfront, with $11 million going towards Wilkeson Pointe.

Two labor unions representing almost 8,000 healthcare workers voted to ratify a new three-year contract with Kaleida Health, 1199SEIU United Workers East announced Thursday night.

A Niagara County crash involving a motorcycle left one person with life-threatening injuries on Thursday night. The crash happened around 6:20 p.m. Thursday at the intersection of Robinson and East Canal roads in the Town of Lockport, according to the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office.

Wheatfield’s efforts to get its own zip code took a step forward this week. Congressman Tim Kennedy was in the Niagara County town on Thursday to announce that legislation creating a new postal code had passed the House of Representatives and will now go to the Senate.

The Aquarium of Niagara’s rescued seal exhibit will remain closed to the public until the fall as improvements are made to the outdoor habitat.

07-25-25 Midday Headlines

66-year-old Jerome Williams of Buffalo and 46-year-old Natalie Sansivero of Grand Island are still missing after a boat crashed into a concrete abutment in the Niagara River near the North Grand Island Bridge Wednesday night. New York State Park Police say the search has now transitioned into a recovery operation.

Erie County lawmakers approved the sale of the former Erie County Home on Thursday, clearing the way for a new cannabis farm on the 153 acre property.

On the job less than a year, Byron Brown has already secured himself a raise at the Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. Brown, hired as new president and CEO last fall, won a 3% raise Thursday, bringing his total pay to $303,850.

A Buffalo man, 30 year old Deandre Rogers, could face a prison term of up to two years after being charged with a felony count of animal abuse for striking a chihuahua and fracturing its skull.

The Seneca Beer & Wine Festival will take place Saturday and Sunday in Seneca Square, outside of Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino’s 4th Street entrance.

07-24-25 PM Headlines

New York State Park Police confirms it is now trying to recover two people after a boat crashed into a concrete abutment in the Niagara River near the North Grand Island Bridge Wednesday night. Officials said the missing boaters are believed to be Jerome Williams, 66, of Buffalo, and Natalie Sansivero, 46, of Grand Island.

The Niagara County jail is serving as a holding center for people detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Sheriff Michael Filicetti said the jail has temporarily housed more than 40 ICE detainees since April.

A scheduled public hearing and vote on pay raises for Lockport Common Council was withdrawn Wednesday due to a lack of support from aldermen, and amid confusion about whether the required advance notice had been provided.

The New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) is hosting the Western NY Regional Career Fair in Tonawanda on Friday, August 1.
The event will take place at the Lincoln Park Athletic Complex, 1200 Parker Blvd. in the Town of Tonawanda from 10 am-1 pm.

07-24-25 Midday Headlines

Two boaters are missing after they crashed in the Niagara River Wednesday night. New York State Park Police received the call of an accident at approximately 9:40 p.m. near the exclusionary zone, the restricted area of the river above Niagara Falls.

A former bookkeeper has pleaded guilty to charges in connection to stealing more than $1.8 million from an Amherst medical practice between 2017 and 2024, the Erie County District Attorney’s Office said Wednesday.

A Cheektowaga police officer is being investigated after he allegedly pulled a gun during an argument at Glen Oak Golf Course in Amherst while he was off-duty last month.

A man who is a citizen of China but also resides in New York was charged after an elderly couple in Java were scammed out of $20,000 in cash in May.

The Niagara Falls City School District is implementing a new strategy to comply with New York state’s upcoming classroom cell phone ban: magnetic, lockable pouches that allow students to keep their phones with them – but out of use – during the school day.

07-23-25 PM Headlines

A former bookkeeper has pleaded guilty to charges in connection to stealing more than $1.8 million from an Amherst medical practice. 54 year old Bonnie Bova, of Lancaster, stole a total of $1,830,779.56 by issuing checks from the medical practice, Highgate Medical Group, to herself and concealed the thefts by modifying computer records to indicate that the payments were legitimate.

The Buffalo Fire Department responded to a fire at the South Park Golf Course at 2441 South Park Ave. around 11:05 p.m. Tuesday night. A City of Buffalo spokesperson said the course clubhouse is significantly damaged to the tune of about $375,000.

Two people were rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard after their boat caught fire on Lake Erie Wednesday morning. Officials says around 7:45 a.m., the 24-foot white pleasure craft caught fire approximately two miles away from Coast Guard Station Buffalo and around 800-meters from the Canadian border.

Canadians are committed to ditching U.S. travel, taking the fewest number of car trips there in the year’s first half since at least 2017, excluding the pandemic. Over the past six months, Canadians returned from just 8 million trips, well below the 11 million entries during the same period in 2024

07-23-25 Midday Headlines

A former superintendent in North Carolina has been named the new superintendent of Buffalo Public Schools. Dr. Pascal Mubenga will take over as superintendent on Aug. 15. He signed a four-year contract worth $285,000 per year.

The Niagara River Greenway Commission is another step closer to completing one of its main goals. A 1.75-mile section of multi-use trail officially opened Tuesday, connecting Griffon Park with LaSalle Waterfront Park in Niagara Falls and closing another gap in the planned 37-mile trail from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario.

The 7 Brew beverage-only chain looking to open its first Niagara County location in Lockport has received building permits from the town.

Two Yonkers residents have been charged in connection with the theft of cooking grease from an Amherst restaurant in May.

The Towns of Pendleton and Wheatfield are among the communities in the running to get their own zip codes under a bill passed the United States House of Representatives that’s now on its way to the Senate.

07-22-25 PM Headlines

Two people suffered life-threatening injuries in a crash in Amherst early Tuesday morning, according to police. It happened in the area of 2457 Kensington Avenue just before 6 a.m. Tuesday. A 37-year-old Cheektowaga man, was driving southbound, crossed into the northbound lane and hit a tree and a utility pole. His wife, 40 and also of Cheektowaga, was in the car.

The Niagara County Department of Health has issued a beach closure notice for Olcott Beach until further notice. Recent surveillance sampling conducted on Monday has determined that the water is not suitable for swimming because of unsatisfactory bacteriological water quality

The director of the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library has died at 51, the library said in a statement. John Spears, who was appointed library director in April 2022, died following a battle with cancer.

The Bills will sport another throwback look for the final regular season game at Highmark Stadium. The team announced that it will wear throwback red helmets for the week 18 game against the New York Jets.

07-22-2025 Midday Headlines

A motorcyclist was killed in a crash with an SUV in the Town of Cambria on Sunday afternoon. 60 year old Glenn Fariss of Pendleton died following the crash on Campbell Boulevard around 5 pm.

A 26-year-old Lockport man was killed in Thursday night’s crash involving a sports car and motorcycle on Saunders Settlement Road. Hunter S. Weber, 26, of Lockport, died following the collision about 9 p.m. on the 2200 block of Saunders Settlement Road, near Niagara Wheatfield High School.

The search for the next Buffalo Public Schools leader could come to an end on Tuesday, as the school board will be holding a meeting regarding the superintendent hiring process.
The board meeting starts Tuesday at 3 p.m.

The director of the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library has died at 51, the library said in a statement. John Spears, who was appointed library director in April 2022, died following a battle with cancer.

Shea’s Performing Art Center has announced that Cirque du Soleil will be coming to Buffalo this holiday season. December 17 through December 28.

07-21-25 PM Headlines

Two people have been charged after a two-year-old child was shot on Lackawanna Avenue in the Village of Sloan on Sunday, according to Cheektowaga Police. Shannon Rose, 19 and 20-year-old Marcus Oluwa Jr. are facing charges in connection with the incident. The shooting reportedly stemmed from a dispute between the two.

The search for the next Buffalo Public Schools leader could come to an end on Tuesday, as the school board will be holding a meeting regarding the superintendent hiring process.

Mercy Flight transported a man who suffered life-threatening injuries following a Sunday crash in Niagara County. The crash happened on the 5900 block of Campbell Road in the Town of Cambria.

The Erie County Sheriff’s Office is warning people to be alert for a scam targeting local food truck vendors as another Bills regular season slowly approaches. They say the scammers are posing as NFL marketing agents and charging the vendors with fake fees.