Featured News

The cheers coming from First Niagara Center Friday will be different than usual.

Those in attendance will be praising God, and not the blue and gold of the Buffalo Sabres.

PSYCH-O's, the time has finally come. Tonight at 10 p.m., the USA Network will air the 100th episode of "Psych." The storyline pays homage to the classic '80s "whodunit" "Clue," and features cameos from Christopher Lloyd, Lesley Ann Warren and Martin Mull. Additional guest stars include Curt Smith of Tears For Fears, Steve Valentine and Garrett Morris.

The DiMino Lower Niagara Running Series is gearing up for another great running season with a generous $10,000 donation from Anthony DiMino, owner of Tops in Lewiston, and the addition of three new races.

On Monday, the New York State Senate passed "Alix's Law," sponsored by Sen. Patrick M. Gallivan, R-C-I-Elma, to close a legal loophole and hold intoxicated drivers accountable for leaving the scene of an accident.

Town Hall, an upscale bistro in Lewiston, opened during the USA Today/Rand McNally "Best of the Road" mega food tour last June. The addition gave us all yet another option for dining on Center Street.

The Monday after Thanksgiving, the lights went out on "Revolution."

Fans of the freshman NBC action-adventure have been in the dark - much like the characters on the show - and unsure about what the future holds for Charlie, Danny, Miles and Monroe. Tonight, the Peacock Network fires the power back up, bringing "Revolution" back for the first of 10 new episodes in a row.

Bill and Jean Siddall (pictured) have been chosen by the Town of Porter Supervisor Merton K. Wiepert as the recipients of the 2013 Town of Porter Citizen of the Year award. The couple leads an active schedule of community service, dedicated to making this area of Niagara County a great place to live.

PREVIEW: There are four things Eddie Money wants you to know before you seen him in concert tonight (8 p.m., Seneca Niagara Casino).

Shoppers at DiMino Tops Lewiston have begun to notice some changes to their supermarket. Owner Anthony DiMino said the best is yet to come.

INTERVIEW: You'd think chef Gordon Ramsay would've had enough by now.

In 10 seasons, most of the contestants on "Hell's Kitchen" demonstrated they couldn't make risotto or properly cook beef Wellington.

It was a celebration of past successes and plans for the future, as Relay For Life of Lewiston/Niagara recognized top contributors for 2012 and set the stage for 2013 at a breakfast kick-off Saturday morning at Water Street Landing in Lewiston.

Artpark in Lewiston is kicking off its 40th anniversary season with a gala evening on Saturday, June 1. The celebration event will take place in the scenic Outdoor Amphitheater area overlooking the Niagara River gorge. The evening will be highlighted by entertainment and a gala dinner.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced Friday that New York will construct a new traffic ramp that will connect the U.S. Peace Bridge Plaza directly to the northbound Thruway I-190. The new ramp is part of the New York Gateway Connections improvement project, which will reconfigure access to the U.S. Peace Bridge Plaza, reducing congestion and improving traffic flow for both commercial and private vehicles.

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Mental Health Committee Chair Aileen Gunther announced the Assembly's budget proposal would restore $120 million in critical funding to the state Office of People with Developmental Disabilities for services provided by nonprofit organizations that serve individuals with developmental disabilities.

The programs and services provided through non-profits under the auspices of OPWDD help improve the quality of life for individuals with developmental disabilities. These programs help to develop home, personal, behavioral, recreational and social skills to ensure greater independence in their day-to-day lives. In order to ensure these services are not compromised, the Assembly proposes to restore $120 million to mitigate the governor's proposed 6 percent rate reduction to nonprofit providers.

INTERVIEWS: Nick has had enough. When "Grimm" returns with the second half of its second season (beginning tonight), he and Renard will have a good, old-fashioned brawl.

INTERVIEW: "Psych's" "B Team" is grade-A quality. Timothy Omundson (Det. Carlton Lassiter) and Maggie Lawson (Det. Juliet O'Hara) are no one's second banana.

Rocker Billy Idol will ignite the summer concert season at Artpark on June 4, kicking off "First Niagara presents Tuesday in the Park." One week later, Joan Jett and The Blackhearts are slated to take the Outdoor Amphitheater stage. Tickets go on sale March 15.

The Western New York community once again demonstrated its generosity as 1,307 donors contributed $72,549 to a diverse group of non-profit organizations that participated in "Spring It On," the area's first 24-hour fundraising event held March 1.

Discussion topics at Monday's Lewiston Town Board session were numerous and varied. A big one concerned the proposed Town of Lewiston Community Recreation and Senior Services Center.

The Town of Niagara Lions Club celebrated its 60th anniversary at Antonio's Banquet Hall in Niagara Falls.

Dig out the bathing suits and grab your friends. The 2013 Olcott Lions Club "Swim for Sight" at Krull Park in Olcott Beach is just around the corner.

ECOsponsible project manager Dennis Ryan met Tuesday with Village of Lewiston trustees to update them on his company's intent to use the lower Niagara River to generate electricity through hydrokinetic turbines.

Three remaining Robert Moses Parkway North alternative designs are in agreement regarding the section of roadway between Main Street and Findlay Drive. (Image courtesy of the scoping report presentation.)

Tuesday night, the Lewiston Porter Board of Education received the proposal for phase two of the capital project from Steve DiMatteo, of Gordon W. Jones Associates Architects.

The 10th annual USPA Red Brick Bench Press Championship drew 135 weightlifters to Buffalo's Connecticut Street Armory last Saturday, Feb. 16, to raise funds for the Friends and Family of Western New York Military.

Travelers from Mongolia visited the Town of Niagara Town Hall last week. From left are Mongolian Olympic champions Naidan Tuvshinbayar (judo) and Munkhsailhan Usukhbayar (wrestling) Town of Niagara Supervisor Steve Richards; and Pagva Bira, Ph.D., chairman of the National Authority Police Force (Khuch) Bayanzurkh District, Mongolia.

Buffalo Sabres General Manager Darcy Regier announced late Wednesday afternoon that Lindy Ruff was relieved of his duties as head coach of the Buffalo Sabres. Regier also announced that Ron Rolston will serve as the interim head coach of the Sabres, beginning with the team's game against Toronto on Thursday, and continuing through the remainder of the season.

The Niagara River Region Chamber of Commerce will honor 10 businesses and individuals at the annual Chamber Awards Gala on Friday, May 17, at the Niagara Falls Country Club in Lewiston.

What do bingo, candy and a pharmacy have in common?

Not much, unless they are in the hands of Christopher Sauls, pharmacist at Summit Park Pharmacy in Wheatfield, as he works his audience of senior citizens.

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation has announced that the draft scoping report for the Robert Moses Parkway North/Niagara Gorge Corridor project will be available for the public to review beginning on Wednesday, Feb. 20, with a public open house. The open house will take place from 3 until 7 p.m. in the Cataract Room at the Conference Center Niagara Falls, 101 Old Falls St.

The format of the open house will allow the public to review the alternatives derived from the scoping process and to have questions answered by the consultants. Members of the public can also leave written comments. The plan covers the area of the Robert Moses Parkway from Main Street in the City of Niagara Falls to the Village of Lewiston.

Dennis Brochey is a well-known mechanic, a Kiwanis Club member and a Village of Lewiston trustee.

He can also bench press more than most of our readers.

On Saturday, Feb. 16, Brochey will host the 10th annual USPA Red Brick Bench Press Championship.

On Friday, the Niagara USA Chamber announced its award winners for the Chamber Honors Gala on March 22. Honorees include Nik Wallenda, the Rev. Joseph Levesque, Dr. James Klyczek, Certo Brothers and Timothy Mulvey of Mulvey Construction. Wallenda will also serve as keynote speaker for the event.

With mounds of snow on the ground, it's safe to say Niagara Falls will not be a hotbed of tourism this weekend.

There will be one notable caravan coming to town, however. And its leader can't wait to visit the Cataract City.

When "Touch" returns to FOX for its second season, it will be set in a new city, with new characters and a new direction. Say goodbye to the Big Apple, the nefarious group home and the stand-alone episodes of the week. Instead, the show will boast a bigger, more action-packed, L.A.-set storyline.

Some of the 64 Pomeranians rescued from squalid conditions in Lockport over the weekend started leaving the SPCA of Niagara for new homes Wednesday.

John Jr. and Frances Herstek are still each other's valentines.

While celebrity marriages today sometimes can be measured in days and weeks, the Wheatfield couple will celebrate 71 years together on Feb. 7.

Assemblyman John Ceretto, R-I-C-Lewiston, will introduce legislation to legalize mixed martial arts in New York. The sport is expected to generate more than $5.2 million in economic activity a year in Western New York, plus additional revenue for the state. Currently, MMA is regulated and recognized by 36 out of 44 states that have athletic commissions, including California, New Jersey, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Former Buffalo Bills quarterback Jim Kelly led his team to the Super Bowl four consecutive times - a record that will be hard to match for future generations. The Bills, however, lost all four games. Since then, Kelly has never watched highlights of any of those games, he tells "CBS Sunday Morning with Charles Osgood" in an interview to be broadcast Sunday, Feb. 3 (9 a.m.), on CBS.

The issue of grease trap maintenance, or lack thereof, is once again rising to the surface in the Village of Lewiston.

INTERVIEW: An opera singer, a model, a showgirl and a cow-tipper.

No, it's not the start of a bad bar joke, but the resumé of an up-and-coming music star.

Doreen Taylor is all of the above - and a pioneer of country funk, to boot.