Buffalo news

• Official: Two dead in school shooting in Canada

  22-01-2016 23:36 via wivb.com
  
  LA LOCHE, Saskatchewan (AP) — The premier of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan says there has been a shooting at a grade 7 through 12 school in an aboriginal community in the province.
  A Saskatchewan government official confirmed there are victims, with at least two dead. Officials in the community of La Loche have not said if there are other injuries, or released any other details.
  The school said Friday on its Facebook page that it will remain on lockdown until the Royal Canadian Pol
  
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• Officers on the hunt for Friday evening bank robber in Erie County

  22-01-2016 23:30 via wivb.com
  
  CITY OF TONAWANDA, N.Y. (WIVB) — An early evening bank robbery has police on the hunt for a male suspect who fled the scene.
  Officers in the City of Tonawanda say a Citizens Bank branch on Main Street was robbed just before 5 p.m., prompting officers to rush to the scene. Police did not locate the suspect, but released a photo of the man.
  City of Tonawanda Police are asking the public for any help in identifying the man. Anybody with information is asked to call in at (716) 583-1593.
  
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• Lengthy investigation leads police to arrest local man on charges of raping teen

  22-01-2016 23:19 via wivb.com
  
  OLEAN, N.Y. (WIVB) — A local man is facing felony charges after police investigated an alleged sexual assault for nearly a year.
  New York State Police headed up the Cattaraugus County investigation, centering around a reported sexual assault on a 15-year-old victim in April of 2015. The filed report said the victim’s assailant had no previous relationship with the teen.
  Their investigation led them down a nine-month path that culminated in the arrest of 22-year-old Portville nat
  
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• Department of Health finds 3 cases of Zika Virus in NY

  22-01-2016 22:56 via wivb.com
  
  ALBANY, N.Y. (WIVB) — Just after the Center for Disease Control issued a warning to Americans traveling abroad on a rare virus spreading across Latin America, New York State health officials announced three cases of the virus have been uncovered in the state.
  Officials say last year in Brazil, roughly 1.5 million people were infected, but that has rapidly spread via mosquito in the area to travelers and more. Researchers say it can’t be transmitted by person-to-person contact, a
  
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• Police: Man runs out of gas, killed on interstate

  22-01-2016 22:17 via wivb.com
  
  JASPER COUNTY, Ind. (WLFI) — An early morning hit-and-run crash has resulted in the death of a Missouri man, according to Indiana State Police.
  The incident happened around 5:30 a.m. Friday on Interstate 65 at mile-marker 208, that’s about seven miles south of the State Road 114/Rensselear Exit in Jasper County. State police said they received a call of someone walking along I-65. But before troopers could arrive, they received two more calls of someone on the ground beside the inter
  
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• Feared snowstorm arrives in US capital area

  22-01-2016 22:04 via wivb.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — One in seven Americans will get at least half a foot of snow outside their homes when this weekend’s big storm has finished delivering blizzards, gale-force winds, white-out conditions and flooding to much of the eastern United States.
  But in the nation’s capital, the snowstorm promised to leave a much bigger impact. The first flakes of what could become two feet or more of wet, driving snow began falling in Washington just after 1 p.m., sloshing in from the O
  
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• Buffalo Sabres trade tickets for pet adoptions in SPCA event

  22-01-2016 21:58 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — The Buffalo Sabres are working with the SPCA of Erie County in an Adopt-A-Pet event.
  The Sabres announced the collaboration on Friday, scheduling the event for Monday, Feb. 8 from 5 to 7 p.m., just before Valentine’s Day. The goal is to find a connection between loving families and a pet that will reciprocate those feelings.
  Gina Browning, the director of public relations for Erie County’s SPCA, said sometimes animals need a little help getting
  
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• Film academy announced reforms to diversify

  22-01-2016 21:42 via wivb.com
  
  NEW YORK (AP) — The film academy is pledging to double the number of female and minority members by 2020, and will immediately diversify its leadership by adding three new seats to its board of governors.
  Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs announced the changes Friday, following a week-long storm of criticism and calls for an Oscar boycott after academy members nominated an all-white slate of actors for the second year in a row.
  Isaacs said the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science
  
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• Honor Flight Buffalo announces its dissolution after years of honoring veterans

  22-01-2016 21:14 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — An organization devoted to honoring veterans in western New York is dissolving, after flying hundreds of locals to Washington D.C.
  Honor Flight Buffalo President Lisa Wylie made the announcement on Friday, addressing veterans and volunteers of the organization, saying it took serious consideration by the Board of Directors to make the dissolution decision.
  During the course of Honor Flight Buffalo’s existence, the group conducted 18 flights, flying over 50
  
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• All Philly departures and arrivals cancelled for Saturday

  22-01-2016 20:50 via wivb.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — The major storm swirling toward the East Coast is already leading to travel disruptions in Pennsylvania.
  All flights into and out of Philadelphia International Airport have been canceled for Saturday, when the blizzard conditions are expected to be in full swing.
  Airport spokeswoman Diane Gerace says airlines are being proactive ahead of the expected storm and decided to cancel all flights.
  She says airlines hope to resume flights Sunday, but travelers should check with t
  
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• Authorities looking for suspects who robbed man in Lackawanna bank

  22-01-2016 19:36 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Crimestoppers is offering up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrests of two robbery suspects.
  Authorities say that as a victim was making a deposit at First Niagara Bank on Abbott Road in Lackawanna Thursday, two black males approached them and displayed a weapon.
  Law enforcement officers say cash was taken, along with a gray 2014 Jeep Wrangler bearing the license plate GSW8074. The vehicle was also taken at gunpoint.
  The incident occurred aro
  
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• Council members outraged over alleged sexual abuse on school bus

  22-01-2016 19:17 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Buffalo Common Council members Christopher Scanlon, Richard Fontana and Ulysees Wingo, Sr. expressed concern and outrage Friday, after another incident of alleged sexual assault on a Buffalo Public School bus.
  This latest incident occurred Dec. 2, according to an affidavit.
  A 6-year-old, emotionally impaired boy was allegedly forced to perform oral sex on another student, a 12-year-old boy. The affidavit then states the older boy performed oral sex on the victim
  
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• No longer in Buffalo, yet still prepping for snow

  22-01-2016 18:37 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) – Just because they’ve been through it before, doesn’t mean that Western New York ex-patriots living in places like Washington, D.C. have everything they need for what’s coming their way.
  Canisius College alum and Central New York native Pat Manley, who lives in Columbia Heights, had to go to Target this morning for rock salt. When he got there, he found that he wasn’t the only one looking for last minute storm essentials. He took a video of the
  
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• Morning structure fire calls authorities to Swinburne St.

  22-01-2016 18:32 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Firefighters were called to the scene of a fire off of Broadway Friday morning.
  The structure was located on Swinburne St.
  News 4 will have more information as it becomes available.
  
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• Bills’ HC Rex Ryan talks Kathryn Smith promotion, coaching changes at conference

  22-01-2016 17:42 via wivb.com
  
  ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WIVB) — The Buffalo Bills called for a press conference on Friday to discuss recent coaching changes, including the promotion of Kathryn Smith, who became the NFL’s first female full-time coach.
  Rex says Smith has proven to him that she deserves the job, citing her work ethic and passion.
  “The reason I think she’s going to do a tremendous job here is it starts with everything else,” said Rex. “Just like any profession, you’ve gotta ha
  
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• East Coast storm causes local travel headaches

  22-01-2016 16:59 via wivb.com
  
  CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. (WIVB) – The big storm heading up the east coast this weekend has already prompted thousands of flight cancellations across the country, and that’s having a ripple effect on airports that aren’t in the path of the storm, including Buffalo Niagara International Airport.
  By Friday morning, there were a number of cancellations on both the arrivals and departures boards.
  Travelers were doing what they could to get to where they were trying to go. “I’m
  
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• 180 counterfeit hoverboards valued at $52,000 seized at Peace Bridge

  22-01-2016 16:35 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers say they seized 180 counterfeit hoverboards valued at approximately $52,000 at the Peace Bridge.
  Hoverboards are “self-balancing, two-wheeled, motorized platforms” and were one of the most popular gifts of the past holiday season.
  Officers say counterfeit batteries, which are potentially dangerous, were found in the hoverboards.
  The seizures, which occurred in late December, happened after a tractor trailer
  
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• Police: 2 people make $23,000 in purchases after stealing elderly man’s credit card

  22-01-2016 15:45 via wivb.com
  
  ALEXANDER, N.Y. (WIVB) — New York State Police say two Batavia residents made tens of thousands of dollars in purchases after one of the two stole a credit card from an elderly man.
  The victim is under 24-hour care and Michelle Hamill, 48, worked as a health care aid in his residence. Troopers say Hamill stole the man’s credit card from his wallet.
  Investigators say store video surveillance revealed that Hamill, along with Terry Roth, 40, made around $23,000 in pu
  
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• Three people face DWI charges overnight

  22-01-2016 15:11 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Three separate incidents of DWI led to charges from Thursday night to early Friday morning, according to the Erie County Sheriff’s Office.
  First off, in the Town of Elma, around 8:30 p.m., Scott Scarello, 45, was charged with DWI, improper vehicle equipment and making an improper turn before being released on tickets.
  The second set of charges stemmed from an alleged incident in the Town of Clarence when a deputy said they noticed a vehicle speeding d
  
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• Oregon man uses fake pipe bomb to steal ice cream, beer

  22-01-2016 14:52 via wivb.com
  
  PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Detectives have charged a man after they say he used a fake pipe bomb to rob an Oregon convenience store.
  Theodore Clifton Compton is charged with one count each of second-degree robbery and unlawful possession of a hoax destructive device.
  He was arrested near the intersection of Southeast 116th and Southeast Holgate. Portland Police were initially dispatched around 11:30 p.m. Wednesday to the Plaid Pantry in the 4500 block of Southeast 122nd on reports of a robber
  
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• Video: Police officer shoots hoops with kids after getting noise complaint

  22-01-2016 14:49 via wivb.com
  
  GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WFLA) — A Gainesville, Florida Police officer is getting major props for showing kids that cops aren’t so bad and letting “kids be kids.”
  Officer Bobby White was dispatched to a complaint of kids playing basketball “too loudly” in the streets. The call came in on January 15th just after 5 p.m.
  When Officer White pulled up to the location, he immediately observed kids doing what kids do best – simply having fun; not committing crimes.
  O
  
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• Packers fan brutally attacked by pack of Seahawks fans in Portland

  22-01-2016 14:43 via wivb.com
  
  PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A lifelong Packers fan suffered traumatic brain injuries after he was attacked outside a Northwest Portland bar on Saturday night.
  Bridget Kitson tells Media General contributors she and her boyfriend, 26-year-old Sam Whitehorn, were outside Muu Muu’s on NW 21st Avenue when the fight broke out.
  “He was punched in the face and knocked out and fell backwards and hit his head on the curb of the sidewalk,” Kitson recalled.
  She says her boyfriend w
  
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• WATCH: Oregon deputy finds 2-year-old running on highway

  22-01-2016 14:39 via wivb.com
  
  PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — An alert Lincoln County deputy rescued a 2-year-old boy who was running on Highway 101 outside Newport on January 9.
  Deputy Jeremy Gautney was headed south on Highway 101 on his regular patrol.Lincoln County Sheriff’s Deputy Jeremy Gautney in a Skype interview with Media General contributor Amy Frazier, Jan. 21, 2016 (KOIN)“I was shocked because I thought it was like an animal at first, and then I noticed it was a child,” Deputy Jeremy Gautney
  
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• Tips on how to not fall victim to the “grandparent scam”

  22-01-2016 14:09 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — A phone call could cost someone you love thousands of dollars.
  It’s called the “grandparent scam.” Identity thieves are using this every day across the country.
  Here’s how it works — someone calls an older person, pretending to be their grandchild. They’ll ask for money to be bailed out of jail. Wilma Taylor nearly lost money from this before her daughter cleared the air.
  “The person said, ‘Grandma, you know who th
  
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• Ohio radio host slams decision to make Kathryn Smith full-time coach

  22-01-2016 13:14 via wivb.com
  
  CLEVELAND, Ohio (WIVB) — Not everyone is on board with the decision to make Kathryn Smith the NFL’s first female full-time coach.
  Kevin Kiley, a Cleveland radio host says women do not belong in a world dominated by men amid Smith’s promotion within the Buffalo Bills.
  In the clip, the host says, “We’ve been through this a thousand times — no place for a woman in professional sports, in football, coaching men. Men will not take to it. If you have 10 men on
  
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• Research shows not shaving can help prevent bacteria, infections

  22-01-2016 12:44 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Facial hair is all the rage right now. You either love beards or you hate them. Critics claim beards make faces unclean, and in extreme cases, they worry about bacteria in the beard.
  This turned into such a hot topic, doctors at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston decided to study men’s faces. They checked guys with beards and the men without, hoping to see which faces were cleaner.
  In this study, published in the journal of hospital infectio
  
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• HS Hockey: Canisius vs Will North

  22-01-2016 05:44 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y.(WIVB)- Williamsville North jumped out to an early lead and held on to beat Canisius 5-2.
  
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• Practices on ice teaching athletes lessons for life

  22-01-2016 05:32 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Every Thursday night, with skates and sticks in hand, a team takes the ice at Canalside.
  “They just want to participate in sports like anybody else,” said Sheila O’Brien, the executive director for SABAH which stands for Spirited Athletes Bold at Heart. The organization teaches sports to those with disabilities.
  “I think it’s really great,” said Ryan Gaske, one of the SABAH hockey players. “We do a lot skating. backwards
  
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• Erie County: Bar closing time proposal held in committee

  22-01-2016 05:28
  
  Thursday,the Erie County Legislature decided to seek more input from the community, before making officially voting on a proposal to change the closing time for bars from 4 a.m. to 2 a-m.        
  
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• Town of Tonawanda Police investigate bank robbery

  22-01-2016 04:22
  
  Town of Tonawanda Police investigate bank robbery        
  
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• Gallery: Glassdoor’s 25 best jobs for 2016

  22-01-2016 04:18 via interactives.wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Glassdoor, a jobs and recruiting site, is out with its annual report for those looking for new jobs this year: 25 Best Jobs in America for 2016.
  GALLERY | Click here to see the gallery if on the News 4 app. 
  
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• UB opens dorms up to students early due to winter storm slamming coast

  22-01-2016 04:15 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Despite earlier announcements by University at Buffalo officials, the university will allow students to return to the on-campus housing early.
  The change of heart comes due to a massive winter storm that will slam the east coast between Friday and Sunday, potentially gridlocking air travel and more.
  Students will be allowed to return to campus on Friday, Jan. 22 at 9 a.m., and they won’t be charged additionally for doing so.
  Any students with questions on
  
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• VIDEO: 8-ft-long crocodile takes dip in Florida swimming pool, then goes back to ocean

  22-01-2016 04:10 via wivb.com
  
  MONROE COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — A crocodile with an apparent desire to mix up his swimming routine, took a morning dip in a Florida homeowner’s pool on Thursday then casually headed back to the ocean.
  On Thursday morning, a homeowner in the Florida Keys was surprised to find the 8-foot-long crocodile swimming in his pool.
  The homeowner lives at the 77 mile marker on Lower Matecumbe Key. He discovered the croc at 7:30 a.m. and called the sheriff’s office.
  Florida Fis
  
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• Britax recalls over 71,000 infant seats

  22-01-2016 04:06 via wivb.com
  
  DETROIT (AP) — Britax Child Safety is recalling more than 71,000 infant car seats because the carrying handles can break.
  The recall covers the B-Safe 35, the B-Safe 35 Elite and the B-Safe 35 Travel System made from Oct. 1, 2014 to July 1, 2015.
  Documents posted Thursday by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration say the seats have handles that can develop cracks that can lead to fractures. Britax says it received 74 complaints about handles cracking or breaking. One infant suf
  
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• Student loan debt delaying other life investments

  22-01-2016 04:04 via wivb.com
  
  NEW YORK (KIMT) – The burden of paying back student loans can last decades, and now a new study suggests borrowers are less likely to make any other large investments until that debt is taken care of.
  The group American Student Assistance says of the borrowers surveyed, more than 50 percent say their student loans affected their ability to purchase a car. Nearly as many borrowers say it also affected whether they could afford buying a home.
  Researchers say in past years, students at f
  
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• Student says ‘ISIS’ in Pledge, gets pulled from high school

  22-01-2016 04:02 via wivb.com
  
  ANSONIA, Conn. (WTNH) — A 15 year-old high school student in Ansonia is under federal investigation for comments he made during class.
  In a statement, the Ansonia Police Department said, “The allegation is that the male was allegedly making pro-ISIS statements during the Pledge of Allegiance.”
  Ansonia High School officials alerted police who passed the incident report on to the Department of Homeland Security. New Haven Civil Rights Attorney John Williams called the w
  
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• Washington in bullseye of potentially historic storm

  22-01-2016 03:56 via wivb.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — The forecast for a historic blizzard has been there for days, looming over the nation’s capital like the UFO from “Independence Day.” Projected snowfall totals have ticked steadily upward, to the point where the National Weather Service — known for its conservative predictions — says more than 2 feet of snow could land on Washington.
  Residents and elected officials throughout the Eastern United States are heeding the warning.
  States of e
  
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• Cow enjoys brief taste of freedom but is roped by NY police

  22-01-2016 03:44 via wivb.com
  
  NEW YORK (AP) — A cow destined for the dinner table has run away and enjoyed a brief taste of freedom in New York City before being captured by police and returned to a slaughterhouse.
  Video posted by the New York Post shows the brown and white cow trotting past shops and restaurants in a busy Queens neighborhood Thursday afternoon. The Post says the cow escaped from a halal slaughterhouse.
  Police tweeted, “Just in case you’re wondering: there is cow on the loose in Jamaic
  
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• TSA intercepts more firearms in 2015 as passengers skyrocket; Buffalo seizures decrease

  22-01-2016 03:38 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — In the course of protecting the nation’s flights, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) comes into contact with numerous illegal items, and the number is rising as a national total.
  The number of passengers that flew around the United States increased by 40.7 million to a whopping 708 million passengers. Some of those passengers attempted to smuggle illegal items into their carry-on bags.
  Passengers attempted to smuggle a massive 20 percent more
  
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• Report shows NY hospital infection rate decreasing

  22-01-2016 03:04 via wivb.com
  
  ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York’s Health Department reports the rate of hospital-acquired infections declined again in 2014.
  Health officials say those infections can afflict patients admitted to hospitals, resulting in longer stays, higher costs and unnecessary deaths.
  The department says New York hospitals have shown marked improvements and prevented an estimated 15,000 infections since the annual reporting began in 2007.
  The report shows 8,890 infections from Clostridium di
  
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• Role explained: First female assistant coach in the NFL has important job

  22-01-2016 01:23 via wivb.com
  
  ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WIVB) — The first female coach to hold an assistant coaching position in the National Football League was promoted to the position on Wednesday, and national attention ensued.
  Kathryn Smith is being hailed as a smasher of glass ceilings, as she now holds the only full-time assistant coaching role in the NFL. She’s worked in the league for 14 years between the New York Jets and the Buffalo Bills, and she followed Rex Ryan as he made the leap between both
  
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• Friends, family share keys to Kathryn Smith’s ascension to NFL

  22-01-2016 01:09 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — When Kathryn Smith stepped onto the turf of Ralph Wilson Stadium last September for the Bills season opener, it wasn’t her first time to the stadium.
  She’d been there before, in high school, on the sidelines with her father, Robert.
  Kathryn was a statistician for Christian Brothers Academy, a private high school in Syracuse. Those early years spurred her interest in football, according to some who knew her best.
  “On Friday nights, instead of cheerin
  
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• Plower accused of defrauding customers

  22-01-2016 00:34 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — A West Seneca man is accused of not delivering on his promise when the snow started to fly.
  33-year-old Nicholas Watroba was fired from the Buffalo Fire Department last September, but sources tell News 4 he continued to tell customers that he was a fireman as he collected payments from them to plow their driveways near the South Buffalo-West Seneca border, where he lives.
  On Tuesday night, Buffalo Police charged him with a Scheme to defraud in the second degree. The
  
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• University District burglary suspects sought

  22-01-2016 00:06
  
  BUFFALO, NY - A reward of up to $1,000 is being offered for information leading to the arrest of two burglary suspects.        
  
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• First responders pull out jaws of life after crash in Lockport

  22-01-2016 00:00 via wivb.com
  
  TOWN OF LOCKPORT, N.Y. (WIVB) — Police and first responders rushed to the scene of a messy crash in the Town of Lockport Thursday morning just after 10:30 a.m.
  Two vehicles collided on Sunset Drive, south of Leete Road, closing down the road for a time. When police got to the scene, they say officers found two wrecks with victims trapped inside.
  Investigation revealed a driver crossed over the middle lane behind the wheel of a GMC Pickup, slamming into a 2003 Pontiac in the other lane
  
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