Buffalo news

• Decades later, WNY still remembers O.J. Simpson trial

  02-02-2016 23:46 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — More than two decades after O.J. Simpson was acquitted of murder, the name hasn’t been forgotten by America, and it certainly hasn’t escaped the memory of western New Yorkers.
  The trial, which spanned from 1994 through 1995, was one of the first highly televised trials of a celebrity, and captured the attention of all of America. So much so, that even in 2016, an entire television show has been devoted to the trial.
  The People v. O.J. will debut on F
  
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• Lady Gaga to sing national anthem at Super Bowl

  02-02-2016 22:56 via wivb.com
  
  NEW YORK (AP) — Lady Gaga is set to sing the national anthem at the Super Bowl on Sunday.
  The NFL told The Associated Press on Tuesday that Gaga will sing “The Star-Spangled Banner” at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, where the Carolina Panthers will take on the Denver Broncos.
  Academy Award winning actress Marlee Matlin will perform in American Sign Language during the national anthem.
  Super Bowl 50 will air on CBS, and halftime show performers include Coldplay
  
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• Yahoo to cut 1,700 workers as CEO tries to save her own job

  02-02-2016 22:46 via wivb.com
  
  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Yahoo is laying off about 1,700 employees and shedding some of its excess baggage in a shake-up likely to determine whether CEO Marissa Mayer can save her own job.
  The long-anticipated purge announced Tuesday will jettison about 15 percent of Yahoo’s workforce along with an assortment of services that Mayer decided aren’t worth the time and money that the Internet company has been putting into them.
  The overhaul probably represents Mayer’s last chance
  
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• Fiancée of Bills LB Tony Steward dies during battle with cancer

  02-02-2016 22:35 via wivb.com
  
  ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WIVB) — The Buffalo Bills team is surrounding one of its players as linebacker Tony Steward mourns the loss of his fiancée Brittany Burns.
  Burns, 26, lost her battle to cancer just two months after learning of her diagnosis. Steward, who played for Clemson, has been with the Bills since they drafted him in 2015.
  Cleveland Browns’ Shane Wynn (5) is tackled by Buffalo Bills’ Tony Steward (50) on a punt return the third quarter of an NFL presea
  
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• NY Power Authority recommends funding General Mills upgrades

  02-02-2016 21:51 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — One of the most well-recognized employers in the Buffalo-Niagara region could get some assistance from the New York Power Authority.
  General Mills officials from the Buffalo Plant submitted their application for funds, dished out by the western New York Power Proceeds Allocation Board. They asked for funding as the cereal production facility considers a $25 million upgrade to secure additional business from corporate headquarters.
  The $25 million upgrade will bo
  
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• Dallas County confirms sexually-transmitted Zika case

  02-02-2016 21:29 via wivb.com
  
  DALLAS (AP) — Health officials say a patient in Dallas County has acquired the Zika virus through sexual transmission.
  Dallas County Health and Human Services said Tuesday it received confirmation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The patient was infected after having sexual contact with an ill person who returned from a country where Zika was present.
  The Zika virus is usually spread through mosquito bites. Investigators have been exploring the possibility the virus als
  
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• Niagara Falls International Airport sets record with growth in 2015

  02-02-2016 21:24 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Hundreds of thousands of passengers traveled into and out of the Niagara Falls International Airport in 2015, helping the airport grow and set a new record.
  Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA) officials announced the number of passengers that boarded a plane in 2015 jumped more than 12 percent to 118,000, topping another record year in 2014.
  “The continued growth at the Niagara Falls International Airport is indeed gratifying,” NFTA
  
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• Republicans hold state convention in Buffalo

  02-02-2016 21:13 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — An annual statewide meeting of Republicans in New York State will take place in Buffalo in 2016 with the goal of taking over senior Senator Chuck Schumer’s seat.
  Erie County GOP Chairman Nick Langworthy said it makes perfect sense to bring the convention to Erie County, as it is a driving force for politics on this side of the state.
  “I thank Chairman Cox for recognizing the importance of our region and bringing the convention here in what is going t
  
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• NY Senate votes for 7th time to legalize mixed martial arts

  02-02-2016 21:02 via wivb.com
  
  ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York’s Senate has voted again to legalize and regulate professional mixed martial arts.
  The Republican-controlled Senate for the seventh straight year has voted to end the state’s ban on the sport.
  New York is the only state that still prohibits professional matches, though fighters train at many gyms around the state and amateur cards are held.
  The legislation would put MMA under the control of the State Athletic Commission, which regulates professional
  
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• Man accused of trying to sell drugs in traffic court

  02-02-2016 20:54 via wivb.com
  
  PITTSBURGH (AP) — Authorities say a Pennsylvania man tried to sell drugs in a Pittsburgh traffic court.
  Officials say 35-year-old Christopher Durkin spoke to a man in court after he appeared Monday to face charges of driving under suspension. A deputy told Durkin to leave.
  The other man told deputies Durkin attempted to sell him Suboxone pills.
  Deputies searched Durkin and he was charged with possession of a controlled substance and possession with intent to deliver.
  He is awaiting arraign
  
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• Local stores banned from selling products with microbeads after February 14

  02-02-2016 19:53 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Erie County vendors who choose to sell products with microbeads after February 14 could face trouble with the law.
  Erie County officials made the announcement via Twitter Tuesday. Anyone who sees products with microbeads being sold in stores is asked to report the store to [email protected].
  If you see vendors carrying products with #microbeads after February 14, report them to [email protected].
  — Erie County, NY (@ErieCountyNY) February 2, 20
  
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• Hillary Clinton victorious in Iowa caucuses

  02-02-2016 19:30 via wivb.com
  
  DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Hillary Clinton has narrowly won the Democratic caucuses in Iowa, outpacing a surprisingly strong challenge from Bernie Sanders to claim the first victory in the 2016 race for president.
  The former secretary of state, senator from New York and first lady edged past the Vermont senator in a race the Iowa Democratic Party called the closest in its caucus history.
  The Iowa Democratic Party said Tuesday that it would not do any recount of the close results, and a spokes
  
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• AG Schneiderman announces lawsuit against accused snow plow scammer

  02-02-2016 17:24 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has announced a lawsuit against Joseph Lloyd — the man accused of defrauding customers who paid for snowplowing services from him.
  Lloyd, who touted himself as a contractor offering plow and home improvement services, allegedly defrauded customers in western New York. He is accused of taking advance payments from customers who asked him for snow removal and then not showing up to do the job.
  At times, Lloyd was allegedly prepa
  
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• Home explodes near Rochester

  02-02-2016 16:53 via wivb.com
  
  HENRIETTA, N.Y. (WIVB) — Flames rose from a home on Buckley Place in Henrietta Tuesday morning after it exploded, according to Rochester CBS contributors WROC.
  The explosion was due to a gas leak that was reported just after 8:15 a.m., according to Henrietta Town Supervisor Jack Moore.
  Moore was told that a car had struck a gas meter. Two people were able to escape the home unharmed, according to neighbors.
  WROC says a firefighter was hospitalized due to a back problem
  
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• Police: Buffalo driver with 18 suspensions charged in Cheektowaga

  02-02-2016 16:25 via wivb.com
  
  CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. (WIVB) — A Buffalo man who New York State Police say had 18 suspensions on his license, as well as two active warrants from Cheektowaga Police, was charged on Monday.
  Christopher Manuszewski, 32, was stopped while driving on I-90 just before 5 p.m.
  State Police charged with him with felony aggravated unlicensed operation before turning him over to Cheektowaga Police.
  
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• Buffalo boxer overcomes odds, gets his shot with Vegas-based Mayweather Promotions

  02-02-2016 15:57 via wivb.com
  
  LAS VEGAS, Nev. (WIVB) — Superstar boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. added Buffalo boxer Lionell Thompson to his “Money Team,” making Thompson the first boxer from western New York to sign with the infamous Mayweather Promotions based out of Las Vegas, NV.
  Thompson, who also goes by his ring name “Lonnie B,” began his journey at a local church, where he went to escape his absentee parents. Determined to not be another inner city statistic, Thompson focused on his studies a
  
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• Puppy Bowl comes to Wake Up!

  02-02-2016 15:07 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — This Sunday at Super Bowl 50, the Denver Broncos will take on the Carolina Panthers, but Tuesday on Wake Up!, it was all about the dogs.
  The 2016 Western New York Puppy Bowl at the SPCA featured the Carolina Canines and the Denver Dogs.
  All the “players,” who happen to be from the same litter of puppies, were trying to get “scouts'” attention so that they could find good homes.
  Every puppy was adopted.
  Super Bowl 50 will be live
  
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• Buffalo man walks into ECMC after shooting; investigation underway

  02-02-2016 14:40 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Buffalo Police are investigating a late Monday morning shooting that injured one man.
  Police say a 25-year-old Buffalo man walked into ECMC shortly after 11 a.m. that morning, saying he was hit by gunfire.
  The shooting is believed to have occurred in Bennett Village, according to detectives. Police say the man’s injuries appear to be non-life threatening.
  
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• Niagara County woman accused of driving drunk with child in car

  02-02-2016 14:18 via wivb.com
  
  HARTLAND, N.Y. (WIVB) — A Niagara County woman was arrested Monday for allegedly driving while impaired with a minor in the car in the town of Hartland.
  Katie M. Shaw, 31, of Newfane, was arrested by authorities after they responded to a call reporting a possibly intoxicated driver eastbound on Ridge Road.
  Authorities say Shaw was found to be impaired by drugs and was charged with felony aggravated driving while intoxicated while having a child younger than 16 in the vehicle. Sha
  
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• Dunkirk Dave “predicts” long Winter, contrary to Pennsylvania groundhog

  02-02-2016 13:38 via wivb.com
  
  DUNKIRK, N.Y. (WIVB) — You’ve heard of Punxsutawney Phil, and hopefully if you’re a western New Yorker, Dunkirk Dave too.
  Similar to Groundhog Day events in Pennsylvania, residents of Dunkirk anxiously waited for a weather “prediction” from a local groundhog.
  The legend of Groundhog Day, which dates back to the 19th century, says that if the animal sees its shadow on the morning of February 2, then we will have six more weeks of Winter. If not, then we will have an
  
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• Three fires plague Buffalo Tuesday morning

  02-02-2016 13:04 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Within seven hours’ time, Buffalo firefighters made their way to three fires in the city Tuesday morning.
  First off, three people are getting help from the American Red Cross after a fire struck a home on S. Division Street around 12:30 a.m.
  No one was inside the house, but the fire did spread to two homes next door. Three people in those homes made it out safely. Firefighters say the mild weather was a big help.
  Hours later, around 6:30 a.m., officials we
  
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• Blaze burns home on S. Division St.

  02-02-2016 12:24 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Three people are getting help from the American Red Cross after a fire struck a home on S. Division Street.
  Fire officials were at the scene around 12:30 a.m. Tuesday. No one was inside the house, but the fire did spread to two homes next door.
  Three people in those homes made it out safely. Firefighters say the mild weather was a big help.
  News 4 is working to find out how the fire started.
  
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• Pennsylvania groundhog set to ‘predict’ whether winter ends

  02-02-2016 11:46 via wivb.com
  
  PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. (AP) — The handlers of Pennsylvania’s most famous groundhog are set to predict whether we’ll have early spring-like weather or have to suffer through the end of winter.
  Members of Punxsutawney Phil’s top hat-wearing inner circle plan to reveal their forecast at sunrise, just before 7:30 a.m. Tuesday.
  A German legend has it that if a furry rodent sees his shadow on Feb. 2, winter will last an additional six weeks. If not, spring comes early.
  In reali
  
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• Pennsylvania groundhog predicts early Spring

  02-02-2016 11:46 via wivb.com
  
  PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. (AP) — The handlers of Pennsylvania’s most famous groundhog were set to predict whether we’ll have early spring-like weather or have to suffer through the end of winter.
  Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow, meaning an early Spring is ahead, according to legend.
  Members of Phil’s top hat-wearing inner circle revealed their forecast at sunrise, just before 7:30 a.m. Tuesday.
  A German legend has it that if a furry rodent sees his shadow on Feb. 2,
  
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• Hillary Clinton declares victory in Iowa caucuses

  02-02-2016 10:41 via wivb.com
  
  Buffalo, N.Y. (WIVB) — Democratic Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton has declared victory in Monday’s Iowa Caucuses.
  According to CNN, Clinton will be awarded 24 delegates, compared to 21 for challenger, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.
  Both candidates have over 49 percent of the electorate.
  This is a developing story.Follow @News4Buffalo on Twitter and watch News 4 Wake Up! for developments.
  
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• Bills positional breakdown: QB

  02-02-2016 05:56 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB)- 
  WHAT A DIFFERENCE ONE YEAR MAKES. LOOKING AHEAD TO THE 2016 SEASON, THE BILLS ACTUALLY HAVE A CLEAR CUT STARTING QUARTERBACK. WHICH IS SOMETHING THEY COULDN’T SAY LAST YEAR WHEN TYROD TAYLOR HAD TO BEAT OUT EJ MANUEL AND MATT CASSEL FOR THE STARTING JOB. WHEN TYROD WON THE JOB HE NEVER LOOKED BACK…. POSTING SOLID NUMBERS IN HIS 1ST SEASON AS A STARTER. TYROD TOSSED 20 TOUCHDOWNS AND JUST 6 INTERCEPTIONS. IN FACT, HE WAS SO GOOD THE BILLS MANAGEMENT HAVE A
  
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• East Aurora dog missing for months makes it home

  02-02-2016 05:55 via wivb.com
  
  EAST AURORA, N.Y. (WIVB)– An East Aurora dog had a big homecoming on Monday, four months after he ran away. His family said they wouldn’t have found him if it wasn’t for the outpouring of support from the community.
  “This whole ride has been such a roller coaster,” said Susan Coulter, the dog’s owner. “You have your hopes up, then you get discouraged but you never lose hope.”
  The Coulter’s adopted four year old Murray in June, he wa
  
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• HS Hoops: Olmsted at I-Prep

  02-02-2016 05:37 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, NY (WIVB)- A pair of the top teams in the city went head-to-head. Olmsted’s Brandon Roach had 27 points but it wasn’t enough to top Davon Grant (27 points) and I-Prep.
  
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• Fredonia parents fight for future of football

  02-02-2016 05:15 via wivb.com
  
  FREDONIA, N.Y. (WIVB)- Parents took a goal line stand Monday night in Fredonia.
  More than 200 parents, students, and former football players turned out at a public forum to send a loud and clear message to the Fredonia School Board to forget any plan that would end the school’s football program.
  The district has found it harder to find enough players to maintain a Varsity and Junior Varsity football team. The district has the option of merging with the already merged football team of Westf
  
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• Huckabee suspends campaign in wake of Iowa Caucus

  02-02-2016 04:44 via wivb.com
  
  DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Republican Mike Huckabee says he’s ending his second bid for the White House.
  The former Arkansas governor writes on Twitter that he’s “officially suspending my campaign.”
  He’s thanking his backers for their loyal support, adding the hashtag #ImWithHuck.
  He joined the race last May, with an announcement in the hometown he shares with former President Bill Clinton.
  But Huckabee became just one candidate in a crowded field that included m
  
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• Cruz tops Trump in Iowa; Clinton, Sanders in tight Dem race

  02-02-2016 04:39 via wivb.com
  
  DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, a fiery conservative loathed by his own party’s leaders, swept to victory in Iowa’s Republican caucuses Monday, overcoming billionaire Donald Trump and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio. Among Democrats, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders were deadlocked in a tight race.
  Cruz’s victory over Trump was a testament to his massive get-out-the-vote operation in Iowa and the months he spent wooing the state’s influential conservati
  
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• Cruz tops Trump in Iowa

  02-02-2016 04:39 via wivb.com
  
  DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, a fiery conservative loathed by his own party’s leaders, swept to victory in Iowa’s Republican caucuses Monday, overcoming billionaire Donald Trump and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio. Among Democrats, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders were deadlocked in a tight race before the announcement of Clinton’s victory.
  Cruz’s victory over Trump was a testament to his massive get-out-the-vote operation in Iowa and the months he sp
  
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• O’Malley drops out of Democratic race for president

  02-02-2016 04:28 via wivb.com
  
  DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley ended his Democratic presidential campaign Monday midway through vote-counting in the Iowa caucuses, terminating a bid that failed to gain traction against rivals Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.
  O’Malley’s decision to drop out of the race came even before a winner had been declared but as early results showed O’Malley garnering negligible support in the first primary contest. His plans were disclo
  
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• Skunks love this warm winter

  02-02-2016 04:23 via wivb.com
  
  SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – The warm weather has been great not only for humans but for some of our furry friends.
  Well, like the rest of us, the skunks are loving this warm weather. They don’t hibernate. And while they don’t move around much in the winter, we are still seeing them out.
  Its important to know to keep a tidy yard. It will help to keep these animals away. The warm weather is not just welcoming for the skunks it could be creating more of th
  
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• Iowa students say they’re ‘too busy to caucus’

  02-02-2016 04:18 via wivb.com
  
  DAVENPORT, Iowa (KWQC) – The defining factor for some campaigns may be young voter turnout. But some student’s at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa, say those candidates may be a little too hopeful.
  “Students will go to rallies, maybe they’ll volunteer, but when it counts on election night, on Feb. 1 they’re not gonna show up,” said Sen. Bernie Sanders (D Presidential Candidate) at a rally. “Let’s make those pundits eat those words.”
  
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• Iroquois HS updates school dance rules, banning “twerking” and “grinding”

  02-02-2016 03:50 via wivb.com
  
  ELMA, N.Y. (WIVB) — Western New York is about to see its very own version of the movie “Footloose” after a school in Erie County banned “twerking” and “grinding” from school grounds.
  Iroquois Central School District officials rolled out an 11-point addition to their rules and codes of conduct for students at dances, cracking down on what school leaders are deeming as inappropriate behavior.
  The rules, which are in effect as of Jan. 1, and will impac
  
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• Trump, Cruz, Rubio battle in leadoff; Clinton, Sanders in tight battle for Iowa

  02-02-2016 03:18 via wivb.com
  
  DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders were locked in a tight battle Monday in Iowa’s leadoff presidential caucuses as the two candidates sought validation for their rival appeals to move the nation forward through Clinton’s incremental, pragmatic approach or Sanders’ call for political revolution.
  Nine months after launching their campaigns, Clinton and Sanders faced Iowa voters in equally precarious positions.
  Long the front-runner, Clinton was worki
  
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• UPDATE: Silver Alert canceled for 60-year-old man

  02-02-2016 02:25 via wivb.com
  
  TOWN OF TONAWANDA, N.Y. (WIVB) — Officers say they’re no longer looking for a missing man who has a cognitive disorder, after asking the public for help.
  Town of Tonawanda Police say 60-year-old Michael J. Hughes went missing near Center Way Motel in Tonawanda. The bald, 5’11” man is described as weighing roughly 160 pounds, and sporting a gray beard.
  Hughes is a white male with blue eyes, and was last seen wearing blue jeans, a green coat and a Yankees cap.
  Pol
  
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• Task force aims to change how county fights growing opiate epidemic

  02-02-2016 02:08 via wivb.com
  
  WEST SENECA, N.Y. (WIVB) — It’s been close to a year and a half since Brianna Cormier plunged a heroin filled needle into her arm.She’s clear-eyed and clear-headed, after abusing drugs and alcohol from age 16 to 22.
  “The fun didn’t last for too long,” she said. “It took me to a really dark place.”
  Marijuana and booze in her teens turned to pills. Pills turned quickly to heroin by her early 20s.
  “When I used them, I found what I thought w
  
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• Door-to-door sellers get Cheektowagans riled up

  02-02-2016 01:45 via wivb.com
  
  CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. (WIVB) – Town of Cheektowaga officials yanked the welcome mat for a private company that markets energy services directly to consumers, called an ESCO, following residents’ complaints that door-to-door representatives were getting “too aggressive” with their sales pitches.
  The company, New York Gas and Electric, Inc., markets gas and electric services. It is a subsidiary of Florida-based U.S. Gas and Electric, Inc., which operates in 11 states across th
  
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• Buffalo man charged federally with multiple bank robberies

  02-02-2016 00:41 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — A Buffalo man is facing federal charges after an investigation into a string of bank robberies.
  Federal officials say Casey Swain, 37, is facing charges after a grand jury returned a 12-count indictment against him. He stands charged with bank robbery, entering banks with the intent to commit larceny and bank larcenies.
  Prosecutors say Swain is behind four different bank robberies in Buffalo, Lackawanna, Niagara Falls and Kenmore — each a First Niagara Ban
  
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• Area non-profits push to keep charity local

  02-02-2016 00:29 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB)- If you happen to donate to one of the big, red “Hearts for the Homeless” bins around Buffalo, you know what you’re giving will help someone in Western New York.
  But that’s not always the case, and area non-profits like Hearts for the Homeless are seeing more competition from for-profit and out-of-state groups.
  “This is all stuff that was recently collected, donations from the community,” said COO of Hearts for the Homeless,
  
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