Buffalo news

• Local athlete played on national junior hockey team

  06-01-2017 23:49 via wivb.com
  
  YOUNGSTOWN, N.Y. (WIVB) — A collegiate hockey player from Youngstown was a member of the 2017 United States National Junior Team.
  Joseph Cecconi, 19, is a defenseman who has also played for the University of Michigan.
  The national team was made up of players representing the United States for the International Ice Hockey Federation World Under-20 Championship — a tournament for players under the age of 20.
  10 different nations competed in the tournament, which consiste
  
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• Harlem Rd bridge reopened to traffic

  06-01-2017 23:36 via wivb.com
  
  WEST SENECA, N.Y. (WIVB) – As if dealing with all the snow wasn’t enough, a bridge closure in West Seneca didn’t help the flow of traffic during the height of Thursday’s lake-effect snowstorm that hit certain parts of the region.
  The Harlem Road bridge at Clinton Street, which crosses the Buffalo River, was closed Thursday night after loose concrete from a deteriorating expansion joint was discovered.
  The bridge, which is owned and maintained by the New York State Departm
  
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• Equi*Star riding center offers therapeutic relief for people with disabilities

  06-01-2017 22:46 via wivb.com
  
  BURT, N.Y. (WIVB) — Equi*Star in Niagara County offers therapeutic rides for people with disabilities. The horseback riding ranch has 15 horses.
  Seven year old Madalyn A’Gostino from Pendleton is one of the children who benefits from the ranch.
  She has spinal muscular atrophy. Because of the disease, her muscles don’t function properly and she can’t walk. But Madalyn is able to ride horses. Her mom says the therapeutic rides help her with core strength and feeling relaxed
  
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• California funds 1st US inmate sex reassignment

  06-01-2017 22:39 via wivb.com
  
  SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A 57-year-old convicted killer serving a life sentence in California became the first U.S. inmate to receive state-funded sex-reassignment surgery, the prisoner’s attorneys confirmed Friday to The Associated Press.
  California prison officials agreed in August 2015 to pay for the surgery for Shiloh Heavenly Quine, who was convicted of first-degree murder, kidnapping and robbery for ransom and has no possibility of parole.
  Quine’s case led the state to b
  
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• Hate charges filed against suspects involved in brutal Chicago beating of man with special needs

  06-01-2017 22:25 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Hate crime charges have been filed against the suspects involved in a brutal beating in Chicago. The entire incident was streamed online. Police say the video shows four people torturing an 18-year-old man with special needs.
  Chicago police say the 18-year-old victim was targeted because he has a mental health challenge. An outreach manager at the Parent Network System of western WNY says that doesn’t come as a surprise, and says that people with disabilities
  
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• Spacewalking astronauts upgrade station with new batteries

  06-01-2017 22:23 via wivb.com
  
  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Spacewalking astronauts hooked up fancy new batteries Friday on the International Space Station’s sprawling power grid.
  NASA reported that all three lithium-ion batteries were up and running, a successful start to the space agency’s long-term effort to upgrade the aging solar power system.
  Before venturing out, Commander Shane Kimbrough and Peggy Whitson got a hand from a robot that took care of most of the grunt work — Dextre, a hulking machin
  
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• 8 ways the US job market has evolved over Obama’s 8 years

  06-01-2017 22:14 via wivb.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — When President Barack Obama took office in January 2009 in the midst of the Great Recession, the economy was hemorrhaging jobs. Employers were panicking in the face of plummeting demand and a financial crisis that had frozen credit.
  In March 2009 alone, 823,000 jobs disappeared. When the bleeding finally stopped in February 2010, 8.7 million jobs were gone. The unemployment rate hit a painful 10 percent — a quarter-century high — in October 2009.
  Eight years l
  
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• The Audcast, Episode 13: Sabres mailbag edition

  06-01-2017 20:30 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — On the thirteenth episode of The Audcast, News 4 Sports’ Tom Martin and NHL.com’s Joe Yerdon celebrate Tyler Ennis’ musical interests, but more importantly, answer your questions regarding a Sabres team that has yet to hit its stride in full and remains a playoff long shot.
  The Sabres picked up an impressive 4-1 road win against the New York Rangers before dropping a 4-3 OT loss to Chicago on Thursday night, a game they led in the third period
  
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• NFTA police to be more visible at Buffalo airport after fatal Florida shooting

  06-01-2017 20:27 via wivb.com
  
  CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. (WIVB) — Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA) police at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport are responding to the shooting that killed at least five people and injured eight at a Florida airport.
  The NFTA says police will be “more visible” and will operate with “heightened awareness.” The airport has not increased personnel.
  The shooting happened Friday afternoon at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airpo
  
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• Police: 5 dead, 13 injured in shooting at Florida airport

  06-01-2017 19:31 via wivb.com
  
  FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — A gunman opened fire in the baggage claim area at the Fort Lauderdale airport Friday, killing five people and injuring 13 before being taken into custody in an attack that sent panicked passengers running out of the terminal and onto the tarmac, authorities said.
  Authorities gave no details on a possible motive for the shooting.
  “People started kind of screaming and trying to get out of any door they could or hide under the chairs,” a witn
  
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• 5 dead, 8 wounded in Florida airport shooting

  06-01-2017 19:31 via wivb.com
  
  FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Authorities say five people were killed and eight were wounded after a lone suspect opened fire at the Fort Lauderdale, Florida, international airport.
  APP USERS | Tap here for a live conference.
  The Broward County Sheriff’s Office tweeted the information following Friday afternoon’s shooting.
  The suspected shooter was identified as Esteban Santiago.
  Broward County Mayor Barbara Sharief told CNN that authorities “have an active crime scen
  
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• Police: Neighbors’ dispute over snowblowing leads to gunfire

  06-01-2017 18:38 via wivb.com
  
  TOWN OF MACHIAS, N.Y. (WIVB) — New York State Police say an argument between two neighbors about snowblowing led to gunfire.
  Around 10:35 p.m. Wednesday, Troopers responded to a reported neighbor dispute in the Town of Machias.
  According to Troopers, Albert Howard, 56, got into a verbal and physical altercation with his neighbor.
  During the altercation, State Police say Howard grabbed a shotgun and shot out his neighbor’s tires while the neighbor was in the vehicle.
  Howard
  
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• Students home safe after being stranded at school by snow

  06-01-2017 18:22 via wivb.com
  
  WEST SENECA, N.Y. (WIVB) – Thursday’s Lake Effect snow hit just as many people were leaving work and school, creating gridlock on the roads for hours and leaving hundreds of students stranded at Allendale and West Elementary schools after their buses could not drop them off at home.
  By 2 a.m. Friday, there were still 17 students at Allendale waiting for their parents to be able to make it there to pick them up. The last of those kids did not leave for another hour, when they were del
  
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• Portion of Thruway closes to commercial traffic due to weather

  06-01-2017 18:12 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Commercial traffic on the westbound lanes of the Thruway west of Buffalo has been banned.
  The notice came shortly before Noon on Friday. The reason for the ban is severe weather.
  Shortly after Noon, another travel ban was issued for a portion of the eastbound lanes of the Thruway. Travel has been banned for commercial vehicles on I-90 EB between Exit 61 and Exit 59.
  Follow @news4buffalo on Twitter for updates on the closures and cancellations.
  
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• Portion of Thruway closes to commercial traffic

  06-01-2017 18:12 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Commercial traffic on the westbound lanes of the Thruway west of Buffalo has been temporarily banned.
  The notice came shortly before Noon on Friday. The reason for the ban is severe weather.
  Later in the day, the westbound lanes closed from Exit 59 to Exit 61 due to an accident. They reopened around 4:30 p.m.
  In the afternoon, travel was banned for commercial vehicles on I-90 EB between the Exit 57 and Exit 61.
  Follow @news4buffalo on Twitter for updates on
  
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• Twitter time-lapse video shows heavy snowfall in West Seneca

  06-01-2017 17:04 via wivb.com
  
  WEST SENECA, N.Y. (WIVB) — A Twitter user who goes by the handle @AndisJack23 posted a time-lapse video on Thursday night showing the intense lake-effect snowfall.
  The video was recorded in West Seneca, and shows the ground go from mostly green to all white. Although the snowfall shown in the video was over a course of hours, the video condensed it to 25 seconds.
  Watch it above!
  
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• Gorilla at Buffalo Zoo to celebrate 1st birthday

  06-01-2017 15:58 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — The community is invited to The Buffalo Zoo on Sunday to help celebrate the first birthday of a local gorilla.
  Kayin was born on Jan. 10 of last year. His parents are Sydney and Koga.
  On animals’ birthdays, The Buffalo Zoo keepers help them feel special with treats, enrichments and presents.
  Kayin’s birthday celebration will take place from 10 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. on Jan. 8.
  (Photo courtesy of the Buffalo Zoo)
  
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• Students snowed in at two West Seneca Elementary schools

  06-01-2017 02:24 via wivb.com
  
  WEST SENECA, N.Y. (WIVB)- Parents of elementary school students in West Seneca contacted the newsroom Thursday evening informing us of children stuck at school.
  The West Seneca school district released the following statement around 7:30 p.m.
  “Due to the heavy snow we have been experiencing we have many buses that are running extremely late, all buses are accounted for and all children are safe and warm.We have students at West Elementary and Allendale Elementary schools that we
  
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• Trump adviser visit draws protests, big dollars

  06-01-2017 00:56 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Protestors lined the corner of Delaware and Chippewa streets Thursday morning to welcome one of Donald Trump’s top advisers, and voice their opposition to everything from the president-elect’s transition team appointments, to whether Russia hacked the election to Republicans zeroing in on the Affordable Care Act.
  Meanwhile, local Republicans lauded yet another big-time political visit to the Queen City.
  Members of the media were not permitted access to th
  
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• More calls for Paladino to resign

  06-01-2017 00:30 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) – The push to remove Carl Paladino from the Buffalo Board of Education is moving forward.
  The board voted to hire a lawyer and begin the process of submitting a petition to the state education department by January 20.
  Paladino came under fire last month for disparaging comments he made about President Obama and the First Lady.
  Thursday, the Buffalo Common Council’s education committee provided a forum for speakers to weigh-in on the controversy.
  Paladino respon
  
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• As Obama era closes, goal to end veteran homelessness unmet

  06-01-2017 00:22 via wivb.com
  
  PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Pledges by President Barack Obama and a national nonprofit organization to end homelessness among veterans did not meet their goal. But advocates see improvement, and the head of the Department of Veterans Affairs said Thursday that “we should be there” within a couple of years.
  Homelessness among veterans has been effectively ended in Virginia, Connecticut and Delaware and in about 35 communities, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban De
  
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• Reggie Witherspoon returns to the top of WNY Hoops

  06-01-2017 00:18 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) – Reggie Witherspoon will be the first to tell you that March of 2013 was one of the hardest times of his life.
  “We had people coming by for days with fruit baskets and what not,” Witherspoon said in an interview at the Koessler Athletic Center. “It was like a funeral.”
   
  On March 15th, 2013, Witherspoon — the face of the UB Men’s basketball program, was fired abruptly.
  “But, then that severed and it didn’t seve
  
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• Drone video captures snowy weather in WNY

  06-01-2017 00:11 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Buffalo Aerial Pictures sent us a drone video of snow in the region. Watch it above!
  
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• Batavia home catches fire

  06-01-2017 00:02 via wivb.com
  
  BATAVIA, N.Y. (WIVB) — Investigators are looking into what caused a massive fire in Batavia.
  Flames broke out at a home on East Rd. around 9 p.m. Wednesday.
  The fire was so intense, three fire companies had to work together to put it out. The windy weather made their work a lot harder.
  The majority of the house is still standing. No one was home at the time.
  A wood stove inside could have caused the fire.
  
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