Buffalo news

• Unemployment down in Buffalo-Niagara Falls region

  23-08-2016 23:49 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Unemployment in the Buffalo-Niagara Falls area is down from last year.
  Data collected from July 2015 and 2016 showed a 0.8 percent drop in unemployment in the region. July 2016’s unemployment was at 4.9 percent.
  When comparing statewide July data from this year and last year, the unemployment rate dropped across the state overall. New York officials say that in July, the state hit an all-time high with 7,951,900 private sector jobs.
  Genesee County ties wit
  
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• 15th Street mom charged with child endangerment speaks out

  23-08-2016 23:47 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB)- Starving and alone; that’s how police described three kids, the oldest just three-years-old, who were found inside a 15th Street apartment in early July.
  “It was one of the more horrific things they’ve come across. It was really particularly disturbing for them,” said B-District Chief Joseph Gramaglia of the Buffalo Police Department.
  Parents Maureen Fabre and Terrell Hagans are charged with three counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Chil
  
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• 15th Street mom charged with child endagerment speaks out

  23-08-2016 23:47 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB)- Starving and alone; that’s how police described three kids, the oldest just three-years-old, who were found inside a 15th Street apartment in early July.
  “It was one of the more horrific things they’ve come across. It was really particularly disturbing for them,” said B-District Chief Joseph Gramaglia of the Buffalo Police Department.
  Parents Maureen Fabre and Terrell Hagans are charged with three counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Chil
  
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• Agents offering citizens training to understand border protection

  23-08-2016 23:37 via wivb.com
  
  GRAND ISLAND, N.Y. (WIVB) — The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents are hosting a citizens academy to give people a look at what they do to keep borders safe. 
  “Immigration is a big deal,” said Agent Dean Mandel. “It’s always a hot topic.”
  “It’s different than it was years ago,” said Agent Corey Jones. “People were coming across for jobs, to make their lives better. Now, we have a different threat. We have terrorism.&rdq
  
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• Niagara County awarded more than $400,000 for development, training projects

  23-08-2016 23:02 via wivb.com
  
  LOCKPORT, N.Y. (WIVB) — Niagara County will soon see the benefits of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Yahoo Community Fund.
  More than $400,000 was awarded to eight projects in the county. Cuomo says this money will support workforce training, food, ecotourism, small businesses, literacy and job creation.
  “The most successful investments support the growth of the community, as well as businesses, and the state’s partnership with Yahoo does exactly that,” Cuomo said. “The re
  
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• Navy veteran biking around country to raise awareness for hungry veterans

  23-08-2016 22:54 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — A navy veteran is on a mission to raise awareness about veteran homelessness. He’s biking thousands of miles across the country, and he’s in Western New York today!
  His name is Michael Beattie. He’s 67 years old and he’s already biked 11 thousand miles!
  Mike has about one thousand miles left, he plans to  bike 12 thousand total. He’s from Connecticut, and left there about 4 months ago. He biked down the east coast to Florida, then w
  
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• Not enough information to rule out long-term impacts of Zika virus

  23-08-2016 22:42 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) —  “I think once it’s in Miami, they’re talking now about it going to Louisiana, Texas and I don’t see why the whole American south wouldn’t be worried about it,” said Debbie Grine of Buffalo.
  All it takes is one bite from an infected mosquito to drastically change a woman’s life, especially if she is pregnant or planning on becoming pregnant soon. But even women who aren’t planning on either are concerned being infe
  
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• DOH publishes medical marijuana progress report

  23-08-2016 21:49 via wivb.com
  
  ALBANY, N.Y. (WIVB) — The Department of Health recently released a two-year report detailing the progress of the Compassionate Care Act, which legalizes medical marijuana in New York State.
  Although the program was signed into law in July 2014, it did not actually kick off until this January.
  The Department of Health released a statement on the report:
  “Last week, the Department of Health issued a report with recommendations for expanding the medical marijuana pro
  
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• Police: Man tries to hop fence onto Thruway after store robbery

  23-08-2016 21:36 via wivb.com
  
  DUNKIRK, N.Y. (WIVB) — A Dunkirk man is facing a slew of charges after allegedly stealing from a store at a Central Ave. plaza.
  While at the plaza Monday afternoon, Dunkirk police say Ethan Figueroa, 43, flashed a knife at employees and left a store with stolen goods.
  After leaving the store, police say Figueroa tried to climb over a fence on Millard Fillmore Dr., which leads to the I-90.
  When he was apprehended by police, authorities say Figueroa was found with not only the stolen me
  
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• Local deli owner accused of food stamp scheme, burglary

  23-08-2016 21:18 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — A local deli owner is accused of defrauding the welfare system using food stamps.
  Ahmed Alshami, 37, is the owner of IGA Express Mart on Ludington St.
  Prosecutors say that from October 2014 to March 2016, Alshami bought food stamps from people for cash, normally paying just half the amount of their worth.
  Alshami would then use these food stamps to buy items to sell in his store, according to officials. Sometimes, prosecutors say Alshami would tell others to go to st
  
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• Local deli owner accused food stamp scheme, burglary

  23-08-2016 21:18 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — A local deli owner is accused of defrauding the welfare system using food stamps.
  Ahmed Alshami, 37, is the owner of IGA Express Mart on Ludington St.
  Prosecutors say that from October 2014 to March 2016, Alshami bought food stamps from people for cash, normally paying just half the amount of their worth.
  Alshami would then use these food stamps to buy items to sell in his store, according to officials. Sometimes, prosecutors say Alshami would tell others to go to st
  
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• Elderly woman accepts plea deal after being charged with selling drugs

  23-08-2016 20:42 via wivb.com
  
  BATAVIA, N.Y. (WIVB) — An accused 84-year-old drug dealer in Genesee County took a plea deal and admitted to fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.
  Originally, Laura Viehdeffer was charged with both criminal possession and sale of a controlled substance. These were third-degree charges.
  Viehdeffer, who allegedly sold hydrocodone pills, will not face jail time as part of her plea deal. During her October sentencing, a judge will likely give her probation
  
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• NY adds machetes to list of “dangerous or deadly” weapons

  23-08-2016 20:28 via wivb.com
  
  ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York state has added machetes to a list of “dangerous or deadly” weapons that also includes daggers, razors and stilettos.
  The new rules signed into law this month by Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo stop short of banning the long, bladed instruments, often used by gardeners, farmers and hikers to clear undergrowth.
  Instead, the new law makes it a separate misdemeanor to possess a machete with the intent of using it unlawfully against another person.
  If conv
  
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• Teacher establishes policy with no formal homework assignments

  23-08-2016 20:21 via wivb.com
  
  FORT WORTH, Texas (WIVB) — For a lot of Southern states, school is already in session. In Fort Worth, Texas, one teacher’s note to parents is already going viral.
  This teacher is introducing a student-friendly approach to homework.
  Facebook user Samantha Gallagher shared a photo of the note from her daughter’s teacher, Brandy Young, establishing the homework policy.
  “After much research this summer, I am trying something new,” Young said. “Homework will only c
  
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• Police: 3 children, man die in Chicago apartment fire

  23-08-2016 18:40 via wivb.com
  
  CHICAGO (AP) — A fire at a Chicago apartment building that appears to have been deliberately set killed four people Tuesday, including three children, police said.
  It took around 200 firefighters three hours to put out the blaze, which began around 1:30 a.m. in a three-story building in the South Chicago neighborhood. Witnesses said they saw residents leap from windows to escape.
  A preliminary investigation indicated a person returned to the building after a domestic dispute and set fire t
  
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• Hunting for the root of immigration woes? Look to the past

  23-08-2016 18:03 via wivb.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — For more than a decade, lawmakers have been pointing at their counterparts to take the blame for what just about everyone agrees is a broken immigration system.
  Republicans say President Barack Obama’s immigration enforcement policies encourage more people to sneak into the country. Democrats blame Republicans for blocking legislation that would allow people already here to gain legal status and create a path for future, legal immigration.
  But whatever specific poli
  
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• Florida: 5 new Zika cases including 1 in the Tampa Bay area

  23-08-2016 17:34 via wivb.com
  
  ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Florida’s governor says that state has confirmed five new non-travel-related cases of Zika, including one in the Tampa Bay area, though officials aren’t so far declaring that a zone of active local transmission.
  Gov. Rick Scott said at a Zika roundtable in the Tampa area’s Pinellas County that four new cases were connected to mosquitoes in Miami’s Wynwood arts district. He says the fifth was diagnosed in a Pinellas County resident who has
  
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• IHOP serves $1 short stacks to stop child hunger

  23-08-2016 17:31 via wivb.com
  
  KNOXVILLE (WATE) – Pancake lovers can help children in need Tuesday by going to IHOP.The restaurant chain is serving customers a short stack of buttermilk pancakes for $1. All of the proceeds will go to No Kid Hungry.  According to the organization, one out of 5 children in the United States do not receive the food they need. Hunger can lead to a child missing school or having poor grades.
  Supporters can help even after Tuesday. IHOP will receive donations from customers for the campa
  
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• Police mistakenly shoot homeowner in stomach while searching for attempted carjacking suspect

  23-08-2016 17:25 via wivb.com
  
  INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (WISH) – The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department say they mistakenly shot a homeowner Tuesday morning while they were looking for an attempted carjacking suspect.
  According to police, a man with a weapon tried to take the homeowner’s wife’s car while she was pulling into her driveway in the 3600 block of Fox Tail Drive around 4:49 a.m. Police said she threw her keys and ran inside, then called police.
  Police said her husband went outside to investigat
  
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• Cheektowaga Police looking for man wanted in connection to store theft

  23-08-2016 16:54 via wivb.com
  
  CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. (WIVB) — Cheektowaga Police are looking to identify a man allegedly involved in a larceny at a local store.
  It is not clear what the man’s involvement was, or what store was allegedly stolen from.
  Anyone with information on the man’s identity can call police at 686-7440 or text an anonymous tip to 847-411. Text messages must start with “CPDNY.”
  
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• McDonald’s recalls millions of Happy Meals fitness bands

  23-08-2016 16:44 via wivb.com
  
  NEW YORK (AP) — McDonald’s is recalling millions of fitness bands that had been given away in Happy Meals because they might cause skin irritation or burns to children.
  The fast-food chain said last week that it would stop distributing the bands in Happy Meals. Now it’s recalling 29 million of them in the U.S., and 3.6 million in Canada.
  The company, based in Oak Brook, Illinois, received more than 70 reports of incidents after children wore the bands, including seven reports o
  
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• Crews free man stuck between buildings after bid to impress

  23-08-2016 16:41 via wivb.com
  
  PITTSBURGH (AP) — Crews have rescued a man who became trapped between two buildings in Pittsburgh, reportedly after trying to jump from one rooftop to another to impress a woman he had just met.
  Authorities didn’t identify the man, who was freed about 6 a.m. Tuesday. He’d been trapped about four hours after falling awkwardly into the narrow, debris-filled space between the buildings.
  Police say the man reported an ankle injury; he was bleeding, but waved to TV news cameras as h
  
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• When mere paint won’t do it: Bike lanes around the world

  23-08-2016 16:01 via wivb.com
  
  BOSTON (AP) — Bike lanes are evolving. Cities are increasingly changing them to make them safer in light of fatal crashes involving cyclists and cars.
  From Boston to San Francisco and New York to Tokyo, traditional bike lanes running alongside vehicle traffic are being replaced in favor of “protected” lanes or “cycletracks,” where physical barriers like concrete curbs, planters or fences separate cyclists from vehicle traffic.
  “For 50 years, we’ve just b
  
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• White House says feds doing their part in flood response

  23-08-2016 15:57 via wivb.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is making his first visit to flood-ravaged southern Louisiana as he attempts to assure the many thousands who have suffered damage to their homes, schools and businesses that his administration has made their recovery a priority.
  The Baton Rouge visit Tuesday is a reminder of the political dangers and opportunities that natural disasters can pose. On top of a competent federal response, it’s critical for political leaders to demonstrate compas
  
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• Jamestown woman indicted after being charged with killing brother

  23-08-2016 15:51 via wivb.com
  
  JAMESTOWN, N.Y. (WIVB) — A Jamestown woman has been indicted on a charge of second-degree murder.
  Jamestown Police say Barbara Redeye, 23, fatally stabbed her brother, Dale Redeye, 36, in the upstairs apartment of a house on Lakeview Ave.
  The incident allegedly happened on the night of August 14.
  Redeye is currently being held in the Chautauqua County Jail on $1 million bail.
  
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• Fists not football: Brain injuries seen in domestic assaults

  23-08-2016 15:42 via wivb.com
  
  CHICAGO (AP) — There are no bomb blasts or collisions with burly linemen in Susan Contreras’ past. Her headaches, memory loss and bouts of confused thinking were a mystery until doctors suggested a probable cause: domestic violence.
  A former partner repeatedly beat her, she says.
  “He would hit me mainly in the head so that nobody would see the injuries. He’d hit me in the back of the head so the bruises wouldn’t show,” the Phoenix woman said.The abuse from her
  
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• Minor arrested following stolen gun investigation

  23-08-2016 15:28 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — The Erie County Sheriff’s Office says an arrest has been made in relation to two handguns that were stolen from a home in Colden last year.
  The weapons were stolen from a gun cabinet during a party. The owner of them made the discovery a week later.
  Buffalo Police later received a tip about the stolen guns and say they found one of them at a home on Rhode Island St.
  A Buffalo minor was arrested on Thursday on felony counts of criminal firearm possessi
  
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• Hiker’s death ruled natural; man was CEO of western NY plant

  23-08-2016 15:14 via wivb.com
  
  NORTH ELBA, N.Y. (AP) — Authorities say a 43-year-old man who died last week after collapsing while hiking a remote Adirondack trail suffered a medical condition.
  The Press-Republican of Plattsburgh reports that Essex County officials say a doctor who conducted an autopsy on Michael Sawyer’s body at Adirondack Medical Center in Saranac Lake has ruled the manner of death as natural.
  State police say they were called late Thursday morning to a trail that ascends Cascade Mountain i
  
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• Bills tackle Henderson passes physical, returns to practice

  23-08-2016 07:22 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Bills right tackle Seantrel Henderson has fought to stay healthy in the past, but nothing like what he faced this offseason.
  Henderson had multiple operations on parts of his intestines in an effort to combat and reduce the effects of Crohn’s disease. On Monday, he passed his physical and returned to the field.
  “I went through a lot during in the offseason,” Henderson said. “Complications with my stomach… things I’ve never be
  
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• Neighbors weigh in on plans to upgrade busy South Buffalo road

  23-08-2016 05:43 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB)- One of South Buffalo’s busiest roads could be getting a makeover. People living near Abbott Road told News 4 it needs work badly.
  Abbott Road runs through the heart of the Irish Heritage District.
  “We have some fantastic businesses that have been established, been there for a long time, and a lot of new businesses coming into the area,” said Pat Crowley, who lives nearby.
  Along the growing strip, however, there are aging light posts and cracked sidewa
  
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• Lockport police arrest woman after double stabbing

  23-08-2016 03:48 via wivb.com
  
   CITY OF LOCKPORT, N.Y. (WIVB)- Lockport Police say a fight started around 5 p.m. Monday evening in front of 198 Pine Street.
  Officers located two individuals with stab wounds at the scene. One man was transported to ECMC, his condition is not known at this time.  The second victim was driven to Eastern Niagara Hospital with a non life threatening injury.
  52 year-old Laurie Morley of Lockport was arrested and charged with two counts of unlawful possession
  
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• Despite recent rain, some of WNY remains in “extreme” drought conditions

  23-08-2016 01:03 via wivb.com
  
  VILLAGE OF ALDEN, N.Y. (WIVB) — Despite the recent rainstorms – much of Western New York still remains in a severe drought, some parts of the region are so bad they were recently classified as extreme.
  According to newly released data, several communities including the Village of Alden now sit in the extreme drought zone.
  Village Mayor Michael Manicki spoke about the ongoing conditions, he said, “We use 4 wells here, and the dry conditions have depleted the aquifer and our
  
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• Lives cut short: Families speak out about teens killed in Wheatfield car accident

  23-08-2016 00:33 via wivb.com
  
   
  LOCKPORT, N.Y. (WIVB) – Two young lives are tragically cut short after a weekend accident in Wheatfield. Melanie Aronow and Quincy Harper were both just 18-years-old when they were struck and killed by a car.
  It happened just after midnight on Saturday. Police say the group was walking along Shawnee road near a big party. Family tells us more about Harper, the teenager who loved to rap, dance and had this “million dollar smile.”
  Just days after Harper
  
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• Brain cancer vaccine being tested on Roswell Park patients

  23-08-2016 00:30 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB)– Margaret Kruse, a mother of four from Lancaster, was diagnosed last fall with glioblastoma, an aggressive, usually fatal brain cancer. Yet, Margaret says she feels lucky.
  Margaret is one of 15 people currently enrolled in phase 2 of a clinical trial testing whether a vaccine, developed at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, can eliminate her cancer. That’s why Margaret feels lucky.
  The vaccine, SurVaxM, is considered a ‘next generation’ treatment for
  
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• Harbor Queen floats through Queen City history

  23-08-2016 00:29 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — It’s no secret Buffalo has a rich industrial history, especially when it comes its place in America’s food chain.
  Now, you can experience a 360-degree view of that history aboard the Harbor Queen, which offers some unique perspectives.
  It’s about as up close and personal to Buffalo’s history as possible. Any closer, and they’d have to raise a bridge or two.
  Monday marked just the fourth day of operation for the 63-foot vessel — cap
  
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• Plymouth Avenue shooting victim dies

  23-08-2016 00:01 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — A man shot Monday on Plymouth Avenue in Buffalo has died, according to police.
  Someone shot the man, 24, on Plymouth near Rhode Island Street around 5:00 p.m.  His name has not been released.
  First responders brought the victim to Erie County Medical Center, where he died.
  Police ask anyone with information to call or text their confidential tipline at (716) 847-2255.
  
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• Plymouth Avenue shooting leaves man in critical condition

  23-08-2016 00:01 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — One person was taken to ECMC following on shooting on Plymouth Ave Monday evening.
  The person has not been identified, but their injuries appear serious, according to Buffalo police.
  News 4 will provide more details when they become available.
  
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• Monday evening shooting leaves man in critical condition

  23-08-2016 00:01 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — One person was taken to ECMC following on shooting on Plymouth Ave Monday evening.
  The person has not been identified, but their injuries appear serious, according to Buffalo police.
  News 4 will provide more details when they become available.
  
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