Buffalo news

• UFC suing state over MMA ban

  29-09-2015 23:54 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB)- The fight to legalize professional mixed martial arts in New York is back on.
  The UFC is suing the state, citing the ban on the sport at the professional level is unconstitutional: it’s legal in every other state in the country.
  News 4 spoke to some MMA fighters from Western New York this summer, who told us the ban forced them to travel out-of-state to compete.
  Those who do fight here can only compete at the amateur level.
  Many local fighters hope to one day com
  
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• Local family of 2-year-old seeking test, answers

  29-09-2015 23:52 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Gavin Arroyo couldn’t wait to make his debut in the world. Otherwise, he could’ve died.
  Since he was born 19 months ago, life for him and his mom, Jennifer, has been a journey seeking answers. But those answers cost money, more than $10,000 for a specific test to finally lead doctors to a diagnosis.
  Tuesday marked another day, and another doctor’s appointment.
  Gavin looks small, but he’s led a big life in less than two years.
  “When I loo
  
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• Brown University rescinds Bill Cosby’s honorary degree

  29-09-2015 23:40 via wivb.com
  
  PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Brown University has decided to revoke Bill Cosby’s honorary degree.
  According to the university, Cosby was given an honorary doctorate of humane letters in May of 1985.
  When he received the degree, Cosby was honored for “his ability to integrate [his] personal character into fictional personae that simulate real life while embracing such cherished American values as honesty, fair play, love of family, and respect for humanity,” Christina Paxson,
  
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• Nurse reunites with baby held in viral photo

  29-09-2015 23:36 via wivb.com
  
  ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) – It all started with a photo posted to social media and a plea for help finding the woman in it.
  Amanda Scarpinati is the baby being held by nurse Sue Berger in a photo taken in 1977 at Albany Medical Center. It was so long ago, that recovery room doesn’t exist anymore.
  Scarpinati was just 3-months-old in the image. She was recovering from severe burns after an accident. Scarpinati endured years of surgeries for her wounds and said she would look at the picture
  
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• Grand Island eyesore to become hotel

  29-09-2015 23:28 via wivb.com
  
  GRAND ISLAND, N.Y. (WIVB) –Seventy thousand vehicles pass by it every day. It has looked the same for twenty years but that’s about to change.
  The three story office building on Long Road next to the 190 Thruway was built as the offices for Hooker Chemical in the 1960’s. It was Dunlop Tire’s Corporate offices in the seventies. It has been vacant since 1993, but the new owner has big plans for it.
  “We’re cautiously optimistic that it’s going to actually h
  
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• Niagara Falls cop accused of beating man with his motorcycle helmet

  29-09-2015 22:56 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — The public is getting a look at the Niagara Falls police officer facing felony assault charges after an alleged road rage incident on Interstate 190.
  Authorities released the mugshot photo of 48-year-old James Conte, who’s accused of using his motorcycle helmet to beat a motorist unconscious in the town of Wheatfield back on Sept. 5.
  The alleged victim accused Conte of tailgating him and confronting him off the highway before getting violent.
  Conte, w
  
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• New tool aims to protect youth football players from brain damage

  29-09-2015 22:10 via wivb.com
  
  LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) – Young football athletes take a huge risk of injury each time they step on the field. That’s why engineering professors at Purdue University have created a sensor to go inside football helmets to count the number of hits a player receives.
  This helmet sensor can potentially lower the chances of damaging the way the brain functions, monitor how often a student is hit, as well as review the type of impact.
  “Young athletes can experience damage to the
  
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• Troopers make felony DWI arrest following car crash in Clarence

  29-09-2015 21:20 via wivb.com
  
  CLARENCE, N.Y. (WIVB) — State troopers rushed to the scene of a car accident in Clarence to find a 35-year-old man had allegedly been driving drunk.
  Police say Salvatore Fuentes was driving erratically on Main Street Monday, and ultimately struck another vehicle.
  He failed field sobriety tests at the scene and was taken into custody with a .18-percent blood-alcohol content, according to officers.
  Fuentes is facing felony DWI charges for having a prior DWI arrest. He’s also
  
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• Police: Man arrested after shocking autistic teen with jumper cables

  29-09-2015 21:06 via wivb.com
  
  WICHITA, Kan. (KSN) — Wichita police are investigating after they say a teen was tied up and shocked with jumper cables. Police responded to the report just after midnight early Sunday.
  The father of the 15-year-old boy says his son was walking near Douglas and Grove when a 58-year-old man approached him and pointed what felt like a gun to his back.
  Robert McDowell (Courtesy: Sedgwick County Jail)Police say the suspect took the boy to a home in the 2300 block of East 1st Street a
  
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• Dave and Busters doubles the number of games at new location

  29-09-2015 20:46 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) – When the new Dave and Busters in the Walden Galleria opens its doors on Thursday morning, customers will have twice the opportunities for entertainment. The new restaurant holds two hundred games, compared with one hundred at its former location in the Eastern Hills Mall.
  The games are ones of the biggest draws of the establishment, and most of the machines are brand new.
  Customers also have the option of downloading the Dave and Busters app, which allows them to pla
  
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• Report: Twitter looks to expand its character limit

  29-09-2015 19:31 via wivb.com
  
  CALIFORNIA (WIVB) — Reports surfaced Tuesday suggesting Twitter is looking to build out its message-sharing platform to allow longer Tweets in an attempt to attract additional users.
  According to re/code, Twitter coders are working to develop a product that will allow users to Tweet out messages longer than 140 characters to their followers. Company employees who spoke to the tech website said with interim CEO Jack Dorsey at the helm of the company, things are starting to change.
  Twit
  
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• Cold cereal sales are declining as prices rise

  29-09-2015 19:30 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) – Your favorite early morning breakfast or afternoon snack has become more expensive.
  Market researcher Packaged Facts says cold cereal costs have increased since 2010.
  However, even though the price has gone up, some people don’t mind.
  “I always know there are generic brands which are usually a little bit cheaper. I prefer cereal, versus other unhealthier snacks. So I guess cereal prices don’t really bother me all that much,” Dixie Courtney, an
  
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• Fact Check: Math in Trump’s tax plan doesn’t always add up

  29-09-2015 19:14 via wivb.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — In proposing a major overhaul of the U.S. tax system, Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump vows to reduce the tax rates paid by millions of Americans, spur economic growth not seen in decades and do so without adding to the national debt.“It’s a tax reform that I think will make America strong and great again,” Trump said Monday. Here is a look at some of the claims Trump made when announcing his tax plan and how they compare with the facts.
  
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• Hospital Building Implosion: What you need to know before you go

  29-09-2015 19:08 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) – Preparations have been underway for the past month at the site of the old Millard Fillmore Hospital tower at Gates Circle, ahead of Saturday morning’s planned demolition. Between 300 and 500 pounds of explosives will be used to implode the building to make way for a $150 million private development.
  The implosion is set to happen at 7 a.m. on Saturday, October 3. On Tuesday, city leaders came together to lay out what the public needs to know if anyone plans to
  
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• Hospital building implosion: What you need to know

  29-09-2015 19:08 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) – Preparations have been underway for the past month at the site of the old Millard Fillmore Hospital tower at Gates Circle, ahead of Saturday morning’s planned demolition. Between 300 and 500 pounds of explosives will be used to implode the building to make way for a $150 million private development.
  The implosion is set to happen at 7 a.m. on Saturday, October 3. On Tuesday, city leaders came together to lay out what the public needs to know if anyone plans to
  
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• High-speed chase sends multiple police forces searching for suspect

  29-09-2015 18:54 via wivb.com
  
  ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WIVB) — A man allegedly driving a stolen vehicle took police from different agencies on high speed chases that reached over 100 miles per hour.
  Officers in Orchard Park say they originally stopped Bryan Danna, who they described as a transient , for talking on his cell phone. Danna allegedly waited until the police officer exited his patrol car to come speak with him before pulling off and speeding away.
  Multiple officers came to assist that Orchard Park police off
  
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• Man charged with three felonies for allegedly beating his family member

  29-09-2015 18:42 via wivb.com
  
  WARSAW, N.Y. (WIVB) — Acting on information from a female with severe injuries, police in Warsaw say they arrested a man who allegedly imprisoned and assaulted her.
  New York State Troopers say they were called in to investigate the injured woman’s claims of assault on Sept. 20. Police say she suffered an assault that fractured bones in her face and more. During the assault, her attacker reportedly restrained her and destroyed her phone to prevent her from contacting police.
  
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• Volunteer firefighter, EMT laid to rest after perishing in ambulance crash

  29-09-2015 17:16 via wivb.com
  
  RIGA, N.Y. (WIVB) — Hundreds are taking time on Tuesday to mourn the loss of a valued first responder in Monroe County.
  Barry G. Miller, a Bergen native, perished after an ambulance rushing to the scene of a medical emergency crashed into the back of a slow-moving backhoe on Sept. 23.
  Investigation into the tragedy was handled by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. They said another passenger in the ambulance required medical attention, however nobody else suffered ser
  
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• Sabres fans get a chance to choose goal song for upcoming season

  29-09-2015 16:18 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — For fans who will flock to the First Niagara Center to watch the Buffalo Sabres take the ice in the upcoming season, they’ll have an extra bit of control over what music they celebrate to after goals.
  The Buffalo Sabres are in the final stages of selecting a new goal celebration song, and they’re asking for help from fans to select the music. The competition is now between four songs, and the public will have its say in paring it down to two selectio
  
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• Another day, another Facebook hoax

  29-09-2015 16:17 via wivb.com
  
  NEW YORK (MEDIA GENERAL) — Another day, another Facebook hoax, but it seems Facebook will for now remain free to use.
  The latest hoax going around your news feed says Facebook is going to charge you to keep your profile private, and that you need to post a legal notice to your page or you will lose copyright control of your pictures and content. You’ve probably seen lots of friends posting something like this:
  “Now it’s official! It has been published in the media. Facebo
  
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• How to make the most out of an old smartphone

  29-09-2015 16:12 via wivb.com
  
  (CNN) – From the very first devices sold in Sydney, to smiling shoppers in Hong Kong, to consumers who camped out on the streets of Chicago in the early hours of Friday morning.
  Apple said Monday it sold more than 13-million 6S and 6S Plus iPhones in the first three days on the market, a new record for an opening weekend. That also means millions of old smartphones, with nothing to do.
  In anticipation of upgrades, each of the major wireless carriers rolled out trade-in deals for customers.
  
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• Report: Plea deal in the works for David Sweat

  29-09-2015 14:17 via wivb.com
  
  PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. (WIVB) — Following in suit with the decision to offer former Clinton County Correctional Facility tailor shop supervisor Joyce Mitchell a plea deal, prosecutors are reportedly offering David Sweat a deal in exchange for a guilty plea.
  The deal would keep David Sweat — a convicted murderer who escaped prison with his cell neighbor Richard Matt, sparking a massive manhunt across New York State — out of the expensive court system. The Watertown Daily Ti
  
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• Police in Canada remove stubborn goat from Tim Hortons

  29-09-2015 13:42 via wivb.com
  
  SASKATCHEWAN, Canada (WIVB) — A disturbance in a Canadian Tim Hortons may come as a surprise to Buffalo natives, but Royal Canadian Mounted Police handled the situation with aplomb.
  Officials with the RCMP say they were called to a Saskatchewan Tim Hortons where a cold goat refused to leave the establishment, although he made a decent case for staying inside.
  Police there had a little fun, announcing they “arrested” the furry beast, before returning the goat to its owner.
  
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• Early morning fire prompts crews to rush to east Buffalo

  29-09-2015 12:57 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — An east side fire prompted an early morning response from Buffalo Fire at about 1 a.m. on the city’s east side.
  Investigators will return later on Tuesday to the scene of a fire at Wakefield Avenue. The home’s attic caught fire at about 1 a.m., however crews put the flames out quickly, allowing the home to be salvaged.
  Occupants inside the home escaped the fire and no firefighters were injured while battling the flames. It’s not yet known how t
  
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• Program introduces fresh, local program to Buffalo Public Schools

  29-09-2015 12:31 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — As part of an initiative to make Buffalo healthier, a pilot program is working to bring fresh produce into the Buffalo Public School system.
  A collaboration between the Buffalo Public Schools, Massachusetts Avenue Project, Cornell, American Dairy Association and the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus will help introduce new, healthy foods into the lunch menus at 10 schools.
  The “Harvest of the Month” program will bring veggies like kale, Brussels sprouts
  
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• Program introduces fresh, local produce to Buffalo Public Schools

  29-09-2015 12:31 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — As part of an initiative to make Buffalo healthier, a pilot program is working to bring fresh produce into the Buffalo Public School system.
  A collaboration between the Buffalo Public Schools, Massachusetts Avenue Project, Cornell, American Dairy Association and the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus will help introduce new, healthy foods into the lunch menus at 10 schools.
  The “Harvest of the Month” program will bring veggies like kale, Brussels sprouts
  
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• Dave & Busters celebrates its opening at Walden Galleria with News 4

  29-09-2015 11:59 via wivb.com
  
  CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. (WIVB) — An establishment known to be a destination for fun and food is celebrating its new location at one of western New York’s most popular shopping destinations.
  Dave & Busters announced they completed the creation of a store in the Walden Galleria and will open to the public on Thursday. Ahead of their public open, News 4 will get an early look live on-air.
  Todd Mann, the Dave & Busters general manager, said he’s looking forward to the open.
  
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• Dave & Buster’s celebrates its opening at Walden Galleria with News 4

  29-09-2015 11:59 via wivb.com
  
  CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. (WIVB) — An establishment known to be a destination for fun and food is celebrating its new location at one of western New York’s most popular shopping destinations.
  Dave & Buster’s announced they completed the creation of a store in the Walden Galleria and will open to the public on Thursday. Ahead of their public open, News 4 will get an early look live on-air.
  Todd Mann, the Dave & Buster’s general manager, said he’s looking forward
  
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• National Coffee Day gives locals an early morning rush

  29-09-2015 11:28 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Across the U.S., many who work early morning shifts rely on an early morning cup of coffee to get going, and on Tuesday, they celebrated that warm cup of java.
  Tuesday marked National Coffee Day, and with it comes a host of coffee deals. A number of coffee establishments plan nationally to offer discounts or free cups of coffee to mark the day.
  Dunkin’ Donuts, Krispy Kreme, Tim Hortons, McDonald’s and Panera are all offering free or discounted coffee
  
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• Local leaders call on DEC to approve plan to clean up Scajaquada Creek

  29-09-2015 11:05 via wivb.com
  
  TOWN OF CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. (WIVB) – State Senator Tim Kennedy joined with Town of Cheektowaga leaders this week to call on the DEC to approve the town’s plan to clean up the polluted Scajaquada Creek or come back with the changes needed to move the plan forward.
  The DEC issued a consent order for Cheektowaga to fix its aging sewage treatment plant, which environmental officials claim pumps raw sewage right out into a nearby drainage ditch, and into Scajaquada Creek. Now, after 8 years
  
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• WNY researcher wants to use NASA rover to prove life on Mars

  29-09-2015 05:52 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB)- NASA announced Monday it has found strong evidence water flows on the surface of Mars. Now, a local researcher wants NASA to approve his plan to find life on the Red Planet.
  “Mars is not the dry, arid planet that we thought of in the past,” announced NASA officials.
  NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter captured dark features on a crater that increased during summer months and receded during cooler months. NASA researchers used an imaging
  
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• Common Core task force seeks to reduce tests

  29-09-2015 05:14
  
  Union leaders, school-board officials, teachers and state leaders will among those serving on a task force aimed to finds ways to improve the controversial Common Core education standards in New York        
  
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• Days are numbered for ‘sheltered workshops’

  29-09-2015 04:24 via wivb.com
  
  DEPEW, N.Y. (WIVB)- For some, it’s the only job they’ve ever had, and only job they can get.
  Every day, people with developmental disabilities show up for work at Southeast Works in Depew and prepare products to be sold in stores like WalMart or Office Depot. But what makes this ‘sheltered workshop’ different is that all the workers are disabled in some way. they don’t work along side the non-disabled.
  NY Governor Andrew Cuomo has announced a plan to phase out shelt
  
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• Buffalo man charged after assaulting probation officer

  29-09-2015 04:24
  
  A man from Buffalo is facing up to eight years in prison after her assaulted a probation officer.        
  
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• UB student and cancer survivor earns scholarship

  29-09-2015 04:00 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — The Buffalo branch of the American Association of University Women gave several large scholarships Monday night, including one to a young woman who has survived lymphoma and is studying at the University at Buffalo.
  The AAUW presented a $5,000 scholarship in Jacquie Walker’s name to Kaely Kwitek. This is the seventh year the AAUW has honored News Four’s Jacquie Walker for her work in the community while paying tribute to a student who not only excels in t
  
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• Michigan athlete gives up medal: ‘You deserve it’

  29-09-2015 03:57 via wivb.com
  
  PLAINFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — Sometimes,even the most widely used cliché really hits the mark. Case in point: a recent cross country track meet and the adage ‘It’s not whether you win or lose, it’s how you play the game.’
  It was during Saturday’s RedHawk Invitational, hosted by Grand Rapids Union High School and including teams from all over the area.
  The race for sixth and seventh place was kind of close. Northview junior Tyler Menhart trailed Un
  
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• Body cams approved for Jamestown police officers

  29-09-2015 03:01 via wivb.com
  
  JAMESTOWN, N.Y. (WIVB) — Officers in Jamestown will soon be adding body cams to their uniforms.
  The City Council voted unanimously Monday to equip the Jamestown Police Department with cameras.
  Council members voted on three separate resolutions, each with different companies and different price tags.
  It will likely be another few months before the cameras are in use. The department must still obtain the equipment and train officers.
  
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• Police: Man stopped for speeding caught with stolen car

  29-09-2015 02:47 via wivb.com
  
  AMHERST, N.Y. (WIVB) — A car theft suspect is off the streets after being caught speeding down Interstate 290.
  Troopers say they pulled over 47-year-old William Martin II last Thursday and discovered that his vehicle was stolen out of Cheektowaga.
  Martin is charged with felony criminal possession of stolen property, misdemeanor aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and speeding.
  The car was turned over to police in Cheektowaga for further investigation.
   
  
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• Loose emu recognizes owner, returns home in back of a Prius

  29-09-2015 02:34 via wivb.com
  
  BOW, N.H. (AP) — An emu famous for running wild through New Hampshire for more than a week has been reunited with its owner and returned home safely to Vermont in the back of a Toyota Prius.The Concord Monitor reports Kermit Blackwood figured it was a long shot that the emu loose in New Hampshire was his bird, Beatrice.
  It wasn’t until the Townshend, Vermont, resident traveled roughly 80 miles to the Henniker-based nonprofit Wings of the Dawn when he knew for sure.
  Maria Colby,
  
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• Deputies: Woman calls 911 to remove demons from 5-year-old son

  29-09-2015 02:24 via wivb.com
  
  SPARTANBURG COUNTY, S.C. – A 5-year-old boy and a baby girl were removed from their home after their mother, 23-year-old Danielle Hughes, called 911 and asked for a priest to remove the demons from her son, according to Spartanburg County deputies.
  Hughes says she called 911 because she thought demons were in the process of possessing her house. She said pictures were falling off the wall and a shadow was standing over her shoulder.
  Deputies say they found the house dirty and filled with t
  
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• Escaped tarantula grounds plane near Baltimore

  29-09-2015 02:00 via wivb.com
  
  LINTHICUM, Md. (AP) — A tarantula that escaped in the cargo hold of a passenger flight from Maryland’s BWI airport to Atlanta grounded the plane before it could take off and sent passengers onto another flight.
  Brian Kruse, spokesman for Delta Air Lines, tells The Baltimore Sun that baggage handlers noticed a baboon tarantula had gotten out of its container on Flight 1525 Wednesday night.
  Kruse says the captain grounded the plane so it could be searched for any additional arachnids.
  
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• Blasdell Olive Garden Reopens After Fire

  29-09-2015 01:13
  
  New-look Olive Garden opens in Blasdell        
  
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• Facebook returns after hour-long outage, people go bonkers

  29-09-2015 00:49 via wivb.com
  
  Facebook went down for the second time in the last four days, expect this time, the outage extended beyond an hour.
  Facebook.com and all activity on the Facebook app ceased around 2:05 p.m. CST. Network activity resumed around 3:30 p.m. on the world’s largest and most-used social media network.
  Instagram, which is owned by Facebook, also went down. It is unclear whether the outage is due to technical problems, a hacker attack, or something else. Facebook is yet to comment.
  That has led to
  
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• Local couple: Para-transit service too unreliable

  29-09-2015 00:39 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Renee and Eric Christian have used the para-transit service provided through Western New York Independent Living for most of the past year. But for the past several months, the service has become increasingly unreliable. And then, just last month, they received some even more troubling news.
  “It said that his transportation for work would not be able to provide him rides to work on certain days next month.
  That’s a problem for Renee, Eric and 2-year-old d
  
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• UB student dies in New Zealand kayaking accident

  29-09-2015 00:29 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — The University at Buffalo community is mourning the loss of a student killed while studying abroad.
  Daniel Hollnsteiner died while kayaking in New Zealand. Police say strong winds and waves capsized the 21-year-old and his fellow kayakers into freezing water.
  Hollnsteiner was studying at a university in Melbourne, Australia, and was visiting New Zealand while on a semester break.
  Officials say a second student, identified as 20-year-old James Murphy from London,
  
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• Blasdell Olive Garden opens its doors again

  29-09-2015 00:26 via wivb.com
  
  BLASDELL, N.Y. (WIVB)- More than a year after a grease fire ripped through the Olive Garden on McKinley Parkway in Blasdell, the restaurant is once again open for business.
  The new and improved Olive Garden officially welcomed back customers Monday.
  The restaurant has the chain’s newest design, with fresh wall decor and new flooring. General Manager Celine Mann told News 4 this gives the place a totally unique look to start fresh with.
  Many of the restaurant’s employees are
  
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