Current News

Town of Niagara Supervisor Steve Richards' scheduled hearing before the Hon. Christopher J. Burns in Buffalo's State Supreme Court was delayed until March 18 at the request of the court on Wednesday.

Gleason's Gymnastics will host the 33rd annual Niagara Cup Gymnastics Meet beginning Friday, March 7, through Sunday, March 9, at the Koessler Athletic Center at Canisius College. More than 700 gymnasts from across the U.S. and Canada will compete.

The Elite Finals will be Saturday, beginning at 7 p.m., featuring the top 10 finishers in levels 9 and 10 from Friday's competition.

The following incidents occurred from Feb. 10 to 16, as reported by the Grand Island Fire Co. A total of 22 calls were answered by the department during this period. The GIFC has now responded to 186 calls so far this year.

The Erie County Sheriff's Office responded to 130 calls from Feb. 8 to 14. Below is a sampling of the noteworthy incidents on Grand Island.

Students from Grand Island High School came out to Byblos Niagara Resort & Spa with resumes in hand waiting to hear those very words: "You're hired!"

Hello, Grand Islanders!

On Thursday, Feb. 27, the Grand Island Chamber of Commerce along with Axa Advisors and River Oaks will host a business after-hours networking event at River Oaks Ellden's Banquet Facility from 6 to 8 p.m.

Representatives of Quasar Energy Group explained to the Wheatfield Town Board on Monday a plan to build a cement storage tank next to the company's existing anaerobic digestion facility on Liberty Drive.

St. Stephen School, open since 1968, is planning a reunion reception to be held at the Buffalo Launch Club on March 29.

On Thursday, the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority took action to officially transfer its Buffalo Outer Harbor property to Erie Canal Harbor Development Corp.

The Buffalo Bills and New York Giants will kick off the 2014 preseason in the NFL/Hall of Fame Game Sunday, Aug. 3 at 8 p.m. on NBC. The game will be played at Pro Football Hall of Fame Field at Fawcett Stadium in Canton, Ohio, one day after the Hall of Fame's Class of 2014 is formally enshrined.

Fasten your seatbelt. The search is on for America's next great car designer as truTV and Chevrolet team up on the brand new competition series "Motor City Masters." Hosted by actress Brooke Burns, "Motor City Masters" will pit 10 designers against each other to test their limits of design expertise and creativity.

Challenges on "Motor City Masters" will explore various aspects of design, inside and out. The designs will be judged by Jean Jennings, president and editor in chief of Automobile Magazine and internationally renowned car designer Harald Belker.

Join stars from the Marvel cinematic universe, celebrity fans, filmmakers and pop culture icons for a world premiere primetime event Tuesday, March 18 (8 p.m.), on the ABC Television Network.

At 10:03 p.m. ET Wednesday, Daphne Oz, co-host of ABC's "The Chew," and her husband, John Jovanovic, welcomed the birth of their first child, a daughter, in a local New York City hospital. The baby girl weighed 6 pounds, 13 ounces, 20.5 inches long.

Niagara University's ROTC program will be presented with the prestigious MacArthur Award at 10:30 a.m. Monday, March 10, in recognition of its cadets' performance during the 2012-13 school year. The presentation will take place in St. Vincent's Hall (Room 407) on the university's campus.

Only eight schools are chosen from among the 273 senior ROTC units nationwide for the MacArthur Award, which is based on a combination of the achievement of the school's commissioning mission and its cadets' performance and standing on the Cadet Command's National Order of Merit List, and its cadet retention rate.

Do you know someone who deserves the "Key to the Locks" award? Once again, a Niagara County citizen will receive this honor as one who "best promotes and exemplifies the community spirit, heritage and integrity of the historic Erie Canal." This year's "Key to the Locks" award will be presented Sunday, May 4, at 2 p.m., at the Erie Canal Discovery Center, 24 Church St., Lockport.

If you'd like to recommend a recipient, visit the Niagara History Center, 215 Niagara St., or Niagara County Historian's Office, 139 Niagara St., for a nomination form. You can also visit Niagara History Center's website at http://niagarahistory.org/9th-annual-key-to-locks-award/ for a copy of the form.

There was joy in Wheatfield Town Hall this week at the "coming soon" possibility of a new, active Summit Park Mall.

Zoran Cocov, a Toronto developer, said Tuesday that his attorneys may have the purchase finalized by the end of the week, ending almost two years of negotiations with current owner Oberlin Plaza One LLC.

Bon-Ton, Save-A-Lot and Sears, all with exterior entrances, have continued to operate and draw customers to the Williams Road mall. However, the deteriorating interior has been closed for years and has been plagued with thefts, weather damage and broken pipes. The mall was built in 1972 and used to be a busy and active part of the community.

Local sales tax collections of $14.9 billion grew by $739 million in 2013, an increase of 5.2 percent from 2012, according to a report issued by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. The increase outpaced annual growth rates of 3.3 percent in 2012 and 5 percent in 2011, as well as the 15-year annual average growth of 4.5 percent.

"This is welcome news for our municipalities, and comes at a time when local revenues have been experiencing little to no growth," DiNapoli said. "The majority of the increase appears to stem from storm clean up, which gives these communities a short-term boost. As the economy continues its tenuous recovery, sales tax collections could vary either way for local governments, and is generally a more volatile source of revenue."

Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman has released his annual "Pennies for Charity" fundraising report showing that for-profit telemarketers operating in New York in 2012 retained the lion's share of donations they raised on behalf of charities - more than $154 million that was intended to help those in need.

Telemarketers registered in New York reported raising more than $249 million in contributions in 2012, the most ever in the history of "Pennies for Charity." The 2013 "Pennies for Charity, Where Your Money Goes: Telemarketing by Professional Fundraisers" report found telemarketers kept an average of 62 cents of every charitable dollar they raised as their fees and expenses, with just 38 percent of the funds actually going to charitable organizations.

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Niagara River Greenway Fund Standing Committee will hold a meeting at 1 p.m. Tuesday, March 11, to vote on funding for projects being proposed to the Standing Committee by State Parks.

On Wednesday, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo launched the "No Excuses" push, designed to help pass proposed property tax cuts for millions of New Yorkers. The initiative includes a new website, www.CutPropertyTaxes.ny.gov, featuring information on the governor's plan to cut property taxes, statements of support from elected officials and advocacy groups across the state, and resources for visitors to contact their state legislators to make their voices heard.

In January, at both the State of the State Address and executive budget presentation, the governor outlined his plan to freeze property taxes for two years and create a "circuit breaker" that will provide tax relief based on an individual's or family's ability to pay.

Secondhand smoking is linked with pregnancy loss, including miscarriage, stillbirth and tubal ectopic pregnancy, according to new research from scientists at Roswell Park Cancer Institute and the University at Buffalo. The study findings, published online by the journal Tobacco Control, mark a significant step toward clarifying the risks of secondhand smoke exposure.

The Ken-Ton Family YMCA officially kicked off its 2014 annual campaign Jan. 22. Just a few weeks later, organizers have reached 73.3 percent of their overall goal of $50,000. They're asking for the community's support to help reach the goal by March 19.

Assemblyman John Ceretto, R-C-I-Lewiston, said Wednesday the State Assembly's hiring of an outside law firm with $200,000 of taxpayer money to handle sexual harassment issues falls far short of the reforms needed to correct the problems in New York's lower house.

The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance announced Wednesday it has issued $1 billion in refunds, and reminded New Yorkers to use free e-filing options for faster refunds. Already, refunds have been issued to more than 1.1 million taxpayers - a 50 percent increase over last year's total by this date of 776,000.

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (State Parks) announced Wednesday that more than 60.1 million people visited state parks and historic sites in 2013, and campgrounds had their busiest year on record, as dozens of parks across the state undergo improvements thanks to Gov. Andrew Cuomo's "New York Works" initiative.

On Sunday, March 2, E! goes live from the heart of Hollywood with almost 10 hours of coverage at this year's Oscars. As award season comes to a close, this year's Oscar race is one of the most buzzed about in years and E!'s 20-plus cameras will bring fans closer to all the action as if they were actually on the carpet interviewing their favorite stars.

"Girls on the Run of Buffalo," a nonprofit organization whose mission is to inspire girls to be joyful, healthy and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum, which creatively integrates running, is now accepting registrations for its spring season.

Niagara County is rolling out a new, online parks reservation system to allow the public to reserve park shelters from home or their Internet-enabled mobile phone, the head of the Niagara County Legislature's public works panel announced.

This Sunday, TVGN and Shazam will offer viewers an interactive second screen engagement opportunity while watching "TVGN Live with ET at The Oscars," a live red carpet show featuring interviews with Hollywood's hottest stars, Sunday, March 2 at 5 p.m.

Heart of Niagara Animal Rescue will be present with adoptable dogs this Saturday, March 1, from 12:30-3:30 p.m. at the Pet Supplies Plus location at 2952 Niagara Falls Blvd., Amherst. Dogs Angel, Blu, Kirby, Reba, Rudy, Simba and Snuggles will be on hand; photos and information on these and all their animals are available online at www.heartofniagara.org.

State Sen. Mark Grisanti, R-60th District, offered these comments Wednesday:

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, The Walt Disney Company, Marvel and Netflix Inc. have announced Marvel's landmark live-action television series, which will bring Marvel's "flawed heroes of Hell's Kitchen" characters to Netflix, the world's leading Internet TV network, will principally film in New York state.

Filming is set to begin this summer and will create at least 3,000 jobs in New York, including up to 400 full-time jobs.

This afternoon, President Obama is expected to announce a four-year, $302 billion transportation proposal. The plan is supported by $150 billion in revenue earned by closing business tax loopholes, and includes $600 million in new competitive TIGER grants. The current highway transportation bill is scheduled to expire this fall.

Texting and walking is a known danger, but Dr. Dietrich Jehle, professor of emergency medicine at the University at Buffalo, says distracted walking results in more injuries per mile than distracted driving.

Canisius College's endowment has exceeded $100 million for the first time in the college's history, President John J. Hurley announced Wednesday. The endowment stands at $103,104,691, more than double its amount before the beginning of the college's last fundraising campaign, "A Legacy of Leadership," which concluded in 2012.

"This is a milestone for us, as we continue our ascent among regional comprehensive universities in the country," Hurley said. "But continued growth of the endowment remains a key priority."

Only two weeks remain to nominate young volunteers for the "Kohl's Cares" scholarship program. Kids ages 6 to 18 who have made a positive impact on their communities can be awarded scholarships and prizes, ranging from $50 Kohl's gift cards to $10,000 scholarships.

Much like humans, dogs and puppies can also experience a feeling of illness while on car trips. This car sickness can make pet travel, whether short or long, quite an ordeal for dogs and their families. Fortunately, there are things you can do to help your dog in the car.

ABC News "Good Morning America" is heading to Hollywood for the Oscars. Leading up to Hollywood's biggest night, GMA will countdown to the awards with daily segments on entertainment news, red carpet fashion trends, and interviews with the nominees.