Buffalo news

• Mother of Lockport fire victim: ‘I cry every day’

  02-11-2016 23:54 via wivb.com
  
  LOCKPORT, N.Y. (WIVB) — The fire that killed Joe Phillips might as well still be burning for his mother Ann.
  Fresh wounds were reopened this week, when the juvenile hearing began for the teen who’s charged with helping to set that massive fire, and leaving the 14-year-old Phillips to fend for himself.
  Ann says she remembers the evening of Aug. 10, when black smoke enveloped the city’s sky, and incessant sirens wailed in the distance. She said almost immediately, she knew her so
  
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• Researchers ask WNYers to sign up for new flu tracking app

  02-11-2016 23:19 via wivb.com
  
  AMHERST, N.Y. (WIVB)- From October until April, Western New Yorkers will be coughing, sneezing, and aching as the flu goes around.
  A group of UB researchers want to track the spread so they’ve launched and app. They’re asking everyone in Erie and Niagara Counties to download it.
  Project Coordinator Melissa Miller explained participants have to fill out a quick, initial questionnaire, then they will be sent the link to download the app. They would like each member of a household
  
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• Investigation into inmate assault underway at Erie County Correctional Facility

  02-11-2016 22:56 via wivb.com
  
  ALDEN, N.Y. (WIVB) – Another investigation into the Erie County Correctional facility is underway. Carl Miller, 27,  came out of a medically- induced coma last week. He woke up two weeks after another inmate beat him at the Erie County Correctional Facility in Alden.
  Carl Miller’s lawyer tells us he was beaten so badly he had to undergo immediate emergency brain surgery at ECMC. It’s something the Commission of Corrections is now looking into.
  
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• 4 students hospitalized, released after drinking alleged dangerous mixture

  02-11-2016 22:54 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Buffalo school officials say four students were sent to a hospital Wednesday after drinking a suspicious liquid containing over-the-counter medicine.
  A teacher at School #3 discovered an 8th-grade student in possession of a bottle that appeared to contain a suspicious liquid. The concoction allegedly had a mixture of things, including cold medicine and sleep aid.
  The student admitted to sharing the substance, known as “Lean,” with three other st
  
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• Authorities offering reward for man accused of assault

  02-11-2016 22:27 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — A Crime Stoppers reward of up to $1,000 is being offered for information on the whereabouts of Marcell Jones.
  Jones, 28, is wanted on a warrant for assault out of Georgia, authorities say.
  He is described as 5’7″ and 150 lbs.
  Anyone with information on Jones is asked to call the Crime Stoppers tip line at 867-6161.
  
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• Police warn parents of car thefts at daycare lots

  02-11-2016 22:26 via wivb.com
  
  AMHERST, N.Y. (WIVB)- It can happen in second; you leave your unlocked or even running while you drop your kids off at daycare. A moment later, you’re missing credits cards, cash, and your purse.
  Police in Western New York are warning parents to think twice about leaving valuables in cars when they drop their kids off.
  A slew of car larcenies began on Halloween in Amherst; first, a car at Childtime daycare on Hopkins Road was hit. An hour later, a vehicle in the Doodle Bugs! lot on North F
  
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• FBI probing ‘Vote Trump’ tag, fire at black church

  02-11-2016 21:53 via wivb.com
  
  GREENVILLE, Miss. (AP) — The FBI has opened a civil rights investigation of a fire that heavily damaged a black church in Mississippi where someone wrote “Vote Trump” in silver spray paint.
  The Tuesday night fire heavily damaged the 200-member Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church in Greenville, Mississippi, where Mayor Errick Simmons on Wednesday called it a “heinous, hateful, cowardly act.”
  “We consider it a hate crime … because of the political message
  
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• Middleport farmer facing animal cruelty charges after neglecting 45 cattle

  02-11-2016 21:47 via wivb.com
  
  MIDDLEPORT, N.Y. (WIVB) — A farmer in Niagara County is facing animal cruelty charges after neglecting dozens of animals on his property.
  Niagara County SPCA agents say they’ve been to his Middleport farm before. Over the past few months they’ve been warning the owner to improve the animals conditions but since that hasn’t happened and conditions have continued to get worse the SPCA decided to step in.
  During an inspection Tuesday SPCA agents found several dead cattle.
  An
  
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• Town of Tonawanda police looking for hit-and-run suspect

  02-11-2016 21:22 via wivb.com
  
  TOWN OF TONAWANDA, N.Y. (WIVB) — Town of Tonawanda police say a silver SUV struck a bicyclist Tuesday afternoon. They’re looking for the driver.
  The incident happened around 5:20 p.m. on the 500 block of Creekside Dr., police say.
  The two bicyclists were riding down the road when the vehicle struck one of them and continued driving east, according to a witness.
  The victim was seriously injured.
  The vehicle in question may have damage to its front passenger side hood and/or
  
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• Seneca Nation Election Results: President and Treasurer to switch places

  02-11-2016 21:08 via wivb.com
  
  SENECA NATION, N.Y. (WIVB) — The Seneca Nation has decided their next President, and it will be Todd Gates.
  “The Seneca people have spoken, and they have given me the profound honor of serving as our next President,” Gates said. “I am humbled and incredibly grateful to receive the support and confidence of so many Seneca from both Allegany and Cattaraugus. I look forward to honoring their trust and leading the Seneca Nation forward in meeting the challenges that face
  
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• Plan to fix closed section of Tonawanda Creek Rd. announced

  02-11-2016 20:24 via wivb.com
  
  EAST AMHERST, N.Y. (WIVB) — Back in June 2014, a slope failure occurred on Tonawanda Creek Rd. between Westphalinger Rd. and Northfield Rd. The shoulder of the road began to slide into Tonawanda Creek, worsening as time has passed.
  During that time, the stretch of road became closed to regular traffic, only allowing access to eight homes there.
  Soil subsidence has prevented traditional road replacement processes.
  After a study was conducted on the area, it was note
  
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• Hamburg police looking for help finding missing teens

  02-11-2016 18:57 via wivb.com
  
  HAMBURG, N.Y. (WIVB) — Police in Hamburg are looking for help finding two missing teenagers.
  Missing are Alivia (Amadori) Richards, 14, and Nicholas Gavin, 16.
  The two were last seen in the area of Howard Rd. around 6 p.m. Tuesday. They left the area by their own will, police say, and are believed to be on foot.
  Alivia is described as 5’2″, 160 lbs., and having brown hair and blue eyes. When seen last, she was wearing a black hoodie, black yoga-type pants and white sn
  
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• Buffalo school students first to try new fitness gadgets

  02-11-2016 18:54 via wivb.com
  
   
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Around 200 fifth graders from a couple of Buffalo Public Schools are now sporting new fitness gadgets. They’re part of the pilot program for the Nerf Energy Game Kit.
  “This was a very fun event for me because I like exercising,” said Pride David, one of the fifth graders.  “And I like inspiring other people to like it too.”
  These gadgets monitor and reward kids for getting up and moving. The more movement and energy
  
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• Sheriff: Niagara Falls man found with nearly 400 pills

  02-11-2016 17:58 via wivb.com
  
  GRAND ISLAND, N.Y. (WIVB) — Erie County Sheriff’s deputies say the first discoveries they made about a driver on Whitehaven Rd. were that he had a suspended license and registration, but these were allegedly not the most severe offenses of the night.
  While searching the vehicle of Jonathan Chamberlain, 23, during a traffic stop, deputies say they found 393 codeine pills in his possession. The pills weighed a total of 5.9 ounces, deputies say.
  The Niagara Falls man
  
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• Flynn accuses Flaherty of ethics violation after Treanor endorsement

  02-11-2016 17:13 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — On Wednesday morning, Erie County’s Acting District Attorney Michael Flaherty Jr., officially endorsed a candidate for the position he is currently filling.
  That candidate is Joe Treanor.
  Following the endorsement, Treanor’s opponent for the DA seat, John Flynn, issued a statement. In it, he said Flaherty went against the District Attorneys Association of the State of New York’s Ethical Guidelines for Prosecutors.
  “For Acting Distric
  
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• Local police review safety policies in wake of Iowa ambush attacks

  02-11-2016 17:00 via wivb.com
  
  CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. (WIVB) – The overnight attacks that left two officers dead in the Des Moines area have police across the country on edge, and local law enforcement officials are taking stock of their own departments’ policies and procedures to keep their officers safe.
  “We are always updating our tactics, updating our training,” said Cheektowaga Police Assistant Chief Jim Speyer on Wednesday morning. “We started already months ago now, having our officers dra
  
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• Facebook offers voting planner

  02-11-2016 16:08 via wivb.com
  
  (Video courtesy of Facebook)
  (KRON) — Facebook wants to make the voting process easier during the election.
  The social media website is now offering a “vote planner” with information on the issues, local initiatives, and candidates on your ballot.
  The data is gathered from the non-partisan center for technology and civic life.
  Facebook’s vote planner also lets you save and print your choices, so you can take them with you to the voting booth.
  MORE | Check out the vote pla
  
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• Judge to rule by week’s end on ballot selfies in New York

  02-11-2016 15:57 via wivb.com
  
  NEW YORK (AP) — A federal judge heard lawyers debate whether the “selfie” social media phenomenon was a fad or a permanent fixture before promising Tuesday to rule by week’s end whether the First Amendment extends selfies to the polling booth despite a state law banning people from showing their marked election ballot to others.
  Judge P. Kevin Castel listened as a lawyer for three voters insisted his clients should be allowed to distribute ballot selfies on social me
  
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• Multiple people across northeast report seeing fireball Tuesday night

  02-11-2016 15:22 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — The American Meteorological Society says they received more than 160 reports of a fireball sighting on Tuesday night.
  Primarily seen in Pennsylvania, the fireball was also spotted over a number of northeastern states, including New York. Many people in Buffalo said they saw it.
  The sightings occurred around 8:15 p.m.
  
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• Mexico taking US factory jobs? Blame robots instead

  02-11-2016 15:10 via wivb.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump blames Mexico and China for stealing millions of jobs from the United States.
  He might want to bash the robots instead.
  Despite the Republican presidential nominee’s charge that “we don’t make anything anymore,” manufacturing is still flourishing in America. Problem is, factories don’t need as many people as they used to because machines now do so much of the work.
  America has lost more than 7 million factory jobs since manufactu
  
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• Great Gorge Trail reopens after October closure

  02-11-2016 15:07 via wivb.com
  
  NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (WIVB) — The rock stabilization project beneath the Whirlpool Bridge is complete, allowing the full reopening of the Great Gorge Trail.
  The trail was closed throughout October.
  Anyone with questions about the trail or the closure can call the New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Department at 299-0809.
  
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• School bus, motorcycle involved in fatal Aurora crash

  02-11-2016 14:42 via wivb.com
  
  AURORA, N.Y. (WIVB) — A fatal vehicle accident involving a motorcycle and a school bus occurred in Aurora Wednesday morning.
  Willardshire Rd. was closed between Buffalo Rd. and Knox Rd. as East Aurora police and members of the Erie County Sheriff’s Office made their way to the scene.
  It is not clear what happened, but the bus had to be placed on a flatbed truck.
  News 4 will release more information as it becomes available.
  
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• Motorcyclist crashes into deer in fatal school bus-involved accident

  02-11-2016 14:42 via wivb.com
  
  AURORA, N.Y. (WIVB) — A fatal vehicle accident involving a motorcycle and a school bus occurred in Aurora Wednesday morning.
  Willardshire Rd. was closed between Buffalo Rd. and Knox Rd. as East Aurora police and members of the Erie County Sheriff’s Office made their way to the scene around 7:20 a.m.
  East Aurora police say a 52-year-old East Concord man was riding his motorcycle east on Willardshire when he struck a deer and was thrown from the vehicle onto the roadway.
  As he was
  
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• Several Middleport cattle dead, farmer facing animal cruelty charges

  02-11-2016 13:56 via wivb.com
  
  MIDDLEPORT, N.Y. (WIVB) — Niagara County SPCA agents spent Tuesday out on a farm on Drum Rd in Middleport after the owner, Richard Heschke was arraigned in Hartland court on 47 misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty.
  The owner is charged with failing to provide sustenance for 45 cattle and two sow. Several cattle were found deceased on the property during an SPCA inspection Tuesday.
  SPCA Cruelty Investigator Lauren Zaninovich said, “The SPCA has attempted to work with the owner to impr
  
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• Two Iowa police officers killed in ambush attacks

  02-11-2016 11:47 via wivb.com
  
  DES MOINES, IOWA (WIVB) – Police in and around Des Moines are searching for the person or people behind ambush attacks that left two officers dead in their patrol vehicles overnight.
  The first officer worked for the Urbandale Police Department, just outside Des Moines. He was found shot dead in his patrol vehicle just after 1 a.m. Central time by officers who responded to the area after a shots fired call.
  Police then flooded the surrounding area to search for a suspect. That’s when
  
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• Suspect identified in fatal Iowa police shootings

  02-11-2016 11:47 via wivb.com
  
  DES MOINES, IOWA (WIVB) – Police in and around Des Moines have identified Scott Michael Greene as the suspect behind ambush attacks that left two officers dead in their patrol vehicles overnight.
  The first officer worked for the Urbandale Police Department, just outside Des Moines. He was found shot dead in his patrol vehicle just after 1 a.m. Central time by officers who responded to the area after a shots fired call.
  Police then flooded the surrounding area to search for a suspect.
  
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• Suspect captured in fatal Iowa police shootings, victims identified

  02-11-2016 11:47 via wivb.com
  
  DES MOINES, IOWA (WIVB) – Police in and around Des Moines have captured 46-year-old Scott Michael Greene — the suspect behind ambush attacks that left two officers dead in their patrol vehicles overnight.
  The first officer, Justin Martin, worked for the Urbandale Police Department, just outside Des Moines. He was found shot dead in his patrol vehicle just after 1 a.m. Central time by officers who responded to the area after a shots fired call.
  Police then flooded the surrou
  
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• Suspect captured in fatal Iowa police shootings

  02-11-2016 11:47 via wivb.com
  
  DES MOINES, IOWA (WIVB) – Police in and around Des Moines have captured 46-year-old Scott Michael Greene — the suspect behind ambush attacks that left two officers dead in their patrol vehicles overnight.
  The first officer worked for the Urbandale Police Department, just outside Des Moines. He was found shot dead in his patrol vehicle just after 1 a.m. Central time by officers who responded to the area after a shots fired call.
  Police then flooded the surrounding area to se
  
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• Gun stores see increased business before elections

  02-11-2016 04:54 via wivb.com
  
  NORTH TONAWANDA, N.Y. (WIVB) — Many gun store owners saw sales go through the roof before the 2008 and 2012 elections. With just one week away from the 2016 elections, the Niagara Gun Range says they’re seeing a healthy increase in business.
  Jeffrey Brodsky, the General Manager of the Niagara Gun Range said, “We haven’t done an actual count, the store has been very busy and today alone we processed 7 firearms transactions.”
  Just ahead of the elections, gun sales are
  
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• Scholar Athlete: Makayla Scheu

  02-11-2016 04:39 via wivb.com
  
  EDEN, N.Y. (WIVB) – The season got off to a fast start for Eden swimmer Makayla Scheu. She qualified for the state meet in Ithaca with a school-record breaking time in the 50-meter freestyle.
  She is hoping to also compete at the state meet in Ithaca with a qualifying time in the 100-meter freestyle, at this weekend’s sectional races.
  In addition to swimming, this sophomore likes to sing, study science and is a black belt in karate.
  
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• Amherst town board passes budget, gives themselves raises

  02-11-2016 04:10 via wivb.com
  
  AMHERST, N.Y. (WIVB) — The Amherst Town Board voted Tuesday night to give themselves raises. This was part of the 2017 budget.
  A lot of people living in Amherst did not want the budget to go through, mainly since board members did not get public input on the salary hikes.
  The $73 million budget passed by a 3 to 2 vote Tuesday night. This means town leaders will get a 37 percent salary raise.
  Council members will now make $35,000 a year, up from $25,000 a year and the supervisor will make $
  
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• Man dies after being struck by runaway vehicle

  02-11-2016 03:52 via wivb.com
  
  HAMBURG, N.Y. (WIVB) — A man was killed when an unattended vehicle struck him at the Hamburg Town Park Tuesday night.
  Police say a 73-year-old man was hit by the vehicle when he and his friend were attempting to load jet-skis at the park boat launch.
  The man was transported to a nearby hospital where he later died. His name has not been released.
  The accident remains under investigation by the Town of Hamburg Police Department.
   
  
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• Elderly widow’s lifeline is disconnected by phone company

  02-11-2016 01:55 via wivb.com
  
  LANCASTER, N.Y. (WIVB) – At 91 years old, Rowena Meiler is a great-great grandmother, but with her health issues, Meiler’s life could depend on Alert1, a medical alert bracelet, to contact emergency services through her telephone line.
  But Rowena’s telephone—her lifeline—has been disconnected, and without her landline telephone, Meiler’s medical alert device is useless. She only learned of the disconnection from relatives who have been trying to call her, and
  
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• Before trouble with the city, Nightclub was penalized by State Liquor Authority

  02-11-2016 00:26 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB)- A Buffalo bar, shut down after violence over the weekend, has a long history of problems. The Nightclub at 45 W. Chippewa has been fined thousands of dollars over the last few years.
  City officials and Buffalo Police closed the bar late Monday afternoon. They said over the last five months there have been numerous 911 calls made about assaults and fights at the Nightclub.
  Police told News 4 around 2:30 a.m. on Saturday someone was stabbed during a massive fight inside
  
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