Buffalo news

• State lawmakers hope to make injuring a First Responder a hate crime

  31-01-2017 23:52 via wivb.com
  
  CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. (WIVB) – State lawmakers are proposing a law that would increase penalties for those who commit crimes against any emergency service worker. The Community Heroes Protection Act would make crimes that target police, firefighters and first responders, a hate crime.
  New York State Senator Patrick Gallivan is one of three state lawmakers saying we need to protect Police Officers, Emergency Medical Technicians and Firefighters.
  At the Cheektowaga Police Departme
  
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• Rapist who jumped from third-story window pleads guilty

  31-01-2017 23:32 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — A Buffalo man now admits to attacking two women.
  Timothy DiCenzo, 34, pleaded guilty to two counts of rape in State Supreme Court. DiCenzo also made headlines in 2015 after he jumped out of a window at the Buffalo Police Department’s headquarters.
  The attacks happened in May 2013 and Nov. 2015 — both in the daylight.
  In 2013, DiCenzo raped a woman at Southside Elementary School. In 2015, he raped another woman near Hillery Park Elementary School.
  DNA
  
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• Sheriff: More than 600 bags of heroin, other drugs found during raid

  31-01-2017 23:15 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — A raid on Stewart Ave. in Buffalo led to the discovery of a slew of drugs, authorities say.
  Members of the Erie County Sheriff’s office’s Narcotics Unit raided the residence on Tuesday morning.
  There, authorities say they found more than 600 bags of heroin, 10 grams of powder cocaine, a quantity of crack cocaine, marijuana, drug paraphernalia and a number of aerosol cans. Authorities say the cans had “false bottoms used to conceal the
  
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• Governor Cuomo proposes making Roe v. Wade part of state constitution to protect women’s rights

  31-01-2017 23:12 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Governor Andrew Cuomo wants to make Roe v. Wade part of the state constitution to protect abortion rights for women.
  Under what Governor Cuomo is proposing, women in New York state would still have the right to choose even if Roe v. Wade were to be overturned or altered by the U.S. Supreme Court in the future. It comes as President Trump is expected to announce his nominee for U.S. Supreme Court tonight.
  “As they pull on women’s rights we’re going t
  
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• NY legislation: No tackle football leagues for kids under 14

  31-01-2017 22:15 via wivb.com
  
  ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — A New York lawmaker is trying again with legislation that would prohibit children 13 and younger from playing in organized tackle football leagues.
  Assemblyman Michael Benedetto’s bill would affect both community and school leagues. It’s intended to prevent head injuries in children whose developing brains are at greater risk of permanent harm.
  The Bronx Democrat said Tuesday that critics accuse him of trying to “ruin” a deeply ingrained par
  
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• EPA approves removal of sediment along contaminated creek

  31-01-2017 20:18 via wivb.com
  
  LOCKPORT, N.Y. (WIVB) — Environmental activists in Niagara County are celebrating the EPA’s decision to move forward with phase two of cleaning up the Eighteen Mile Creek Superfund site.
  The agency announced the signing of a “record of decision” Tuesday for the $23 million dollar project. News 4 Investigates has tracked the toxic trouble for years.
  This particular phase focuses on the sediment along a one mile stretch from Upson Park, north to Harwood Street. “It&rs
  
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• Rex Ryan wishes luck to Jets during New York Daily News interview

  31-01-2017 20:11 via wivb.com
  
  NEW YORK (WIVB) — In an interview with the New York Daily News, former Buffalo Bills Head Coach Rex Ryan wished “luck” for an NFL team, but it wasn’t the Bills.
  According to the interview, the day Ryan was fired, he says he “stripped” his truck of its Bills artwork, which can be seen here:
  (Courtesy: @REXTRUCK) 
  His words about the Bills were not necessarily sour, but they weren’t exactly positive for the most part, according to the i
  
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• Local police force upgrading gear

  31-01-2017 19:27 via wivb.com
  
   
  WEST SENECA, N.Y. (WIVB) — Lt. Mike Poleon slips on the new gear – a bulletproof vest, made with steel and weighing around 15lbs. Each West Seneca police patrol car has a vest in it now. They’re to be worn over the usual Kevlar vests – an added layer of protection.
  “Nowadays the weapons these criminals are carrying would go through that like butter,” said Rocco Diina, the former Buffalo Police Commissioner who now runs the Law Enforcement Foundation of
  
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• Bills announce 14 coaches will not return for 2017 season

  31-01-2017 19:22 via wivb.com
  
  ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WIVB) — The Buffalo Bills announced that a number of coaches will not be returning for the 2017 season.
  One of them is Kathryn Smith, who made history as the NFL’s first female assistant coach. Here are the others:
  Bobby April
  John Blake
  Aaron Kromer
  David Lee
  D’Anton Lynn
  Tim McDonald
  Pat Meyer
  Chris Palmer
  Ed Reed
  Eric Smith
  Dennis Thurman
  Jason Vrable
  Jeff Weeks
  The Bills said Head Coach Sean McDermott met with previous coaching staff members individ
  
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• EPA finalizes plan to clean up part of Eighteen Mile Creek in Lockport

  31-01-2017 19:12 via wivb.com
  
  LOCKPORT, N.Y. (WIVB) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced their finalized plan to get rid of contamination in the Eighteen Mile Creek Superfund Site’s creek corridor section.
  The creek corridor extends from Harwood St. in Lockport to the Erie Canal — roughly one mile.
  “This cleanup plan, which is the second phase of cleanup at this site, will require the complete removal of contaminated sediment in the creek corridor,” the
  
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• 20-year anniversary of Jim Kelly’s retirement

  31-01-2017 18:04 via wivb.com
  
  ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WIVB) — 20 years ago Tuesday, a legend announced his exit.
  Buffalo Bills QB Jim Kelly said he was retiring on Jan. 31, 1997. Just four years later, he was inducted to the Bills Wall of Fame, and the Pro Football Hall of Fame the year after that.
  Kelly joined the Bills in 1986 after less than three seasons in the United States Football League.
  In 1988, Kelly helped the Bills win the AFC East Division title. For four consecutive years (1991-94), the te
  
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• Tractor-trailer gets stuck under bridge

  31-01-2017 17:43 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — A tractor-trailer got stuck under a bridge on William St. Tuesday morning.
  The bridge is located near Fillmore Ave.
  William St. was closed down from Fillmore to Thomas St.
  
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• Oprah Winfrey to be ‘special contributor’ to ’60 Minutes’

  31-01-2017 16:40 via wivb.com
  
  NEW YORK (AP) — Oprah Winfrey has been named a “special contributor” to CBS News’ “60 Minutes.”
  Winfrey will bring occasional reports to the news magazine starting this fall, when it begins its 50th season on the air.
  Executive producer Jeff Fager called Winfrey “a remarkable and talented woman with a level of integrity that sets her apart and makes her a perfect fit for ’60 Minutes.'”
  Winfrey said her aim with her “60 Minutes” st
  
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• Fans travel far to get to the big game

  31-01-2017 16:24 via wivb.com
  
  HOUSTON, Texas (WIVB) — In just days, the New England Patriots will take on the Atlanta Falcons at Super Bowl 51.
  Contributor Alyssa Orange was in Houston speaking with fans who traveled long distances to get to the big game.
  See what they had to say in the video above.
  
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• Former nurse sentenced to jail after inappropriate contact with patient

  31-01-2017 16:18 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — A former ECMC nurse who pleaded guilty to forcibly touching a patient in his care was sentenced to one year in jail on Tuesday morning.
  Clarence Center resident Jordan Donalson, 24, was placed on administrative leave after charges arose that accused him of the abuse. He pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts of forcible touching last fall.
  Donalson was facing six years of probation or jail time when he went before Hon. Christopher Burns Tuesday.
  Donalson&rsquo
  
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• ECMC nurse sentenced after forcibly touching patient

  31-01-2017 16:18 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — An ECMC nurse who pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a person in his care was sentenced to 1 year in prison.
  Clarence Center resident Jordan Donalson, 24, was placed on administrative leave after charges arose that accused him of the abuse. He pleaded guilty to two counts of forcible touching.
  “The patient in this case was receiving necessary care at ECMC, and as such is legally incapable of consenting to sexual conduct with this defendant,” Spe
  
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• A look at the reported top contenders for the Supreme Court

  31-01-2017 15:33 via wivb.com
  
  (AP) — President Donald Trump is scheduled to announce his nominee for the Supreme Court Tuesday night.
  Neil Gorsuch, Thomas Hardiman and William Pryor are the three federal appeals court judges who are seen as the leading candidates.
  Each was appointed to the appellate bench by President George W. Bush. Each appeared on Trump’s list of 21 possible choices that he made public during the campaign, and each has met with Trump to discuss the vacancy that arose when Justice Antonin Scali
  
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• Slippery roads cause multiple morning crashes

  31-01-2017 15:24 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Slick roads caused multiple accidents Tuesday morning in western New York.
  As of 9 a.m., three different sections of the I-190 were closed down due to crashes. They were:
  The right lane of I-190 SB near Exit 6 (Elm St.)
  The right lane of I-190 NB near Exit 8 (Niagara St.)
  The right lane of I-190 NB near Exit 13 (Austin St.)
  The crash scenes were cleared up by 9:30 a.m.
  The southbound lanes were congested for more than four miles between the I-290 and Route 198.
  
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• Slippery roads cause multiple crashes

  31-01-2017 15:24 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Slick roads are causing accidents Tuesday morning in western New York.
  As of 9 a.m., three different sections of the I-190 were closed down due to crashes. They were:
  The right lane of I-190 SB near Exit 6 (Elm St.)
  The right lane of I-190 NB near Exit 8 (Niagara St.)
  The right lane of I-190 NB near Exit 13 (Austin St.)
  The crash scenes were cleared up by 9:30 a.m.
  The southbound lanes were congested for more than four miles between the I-290 and Route 198. The
  
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• Slippery roads cause crashes on I-190

  31-01-2017 15:24 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Slick roads are causing accidents Tuesday morning in western New York.
  As of 9 a.m., three different sections of the I-190 were closed down due to crashes. They are:
  The right lane of I-190 SB near Exit 6 (Elm St.)
  The right lane of I-190 NB near Exit 8 (Niagara St.)
  The right lane of I-190 NB near Exit 13 (Austin St.)
  The crash scene near Elm St. was cleared up around 9:20 a.m.
  The southbound lanes were congested for more than four miles between the I-290 and Route
  
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• WNY volunteer firefighters push for cancer treatment coverage

  31-01-2017 06:25 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB)- A proposed state law could expand health benefits for volunteer firefighters.
  “Sometimes people think, ‘Oh well, it affects one person’ but it doesn’t,” said Chief Bruce Mack, with the Frontier Volunteer Fire Company. “This is going to continue on.”
  Chief Mack is a third generation firefighter and his son is also a member of the department. He told News 4 he’s watched as members of the fire company have passed away from c
  
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• Boy Scouts will allow transgender children into programs

  31-01-2017 01:30 via wivb.com
  
  DALLAS (AP) — The Boy Scouts of America says it will allow transgender children who identify as boys to enroll in its boys only programs.
  The organization announced Monday that it had made the decision to base enrollment in boys only programs on the gender a child or parent lists on the application to become a scout. The organization had previously held a policy that relied on the gender listed on a child’s birth certificate.
  A spokeswoman for the organization says it made the decisi
  
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• (PART TWO) Medical marijuana: exclusive access

  31-01-2017 01:20 via wivb.com
  
  DENVER, C.O. (WIVB)- Eric Speidell is the Co-CEO of The Green Solution, a large cannabis company in Denver.
  “Recreational to us is just an access point,” he said.
  Speidell has enlisted the help of buffalo doctor Laszlo Mechtler to add medical expertise to his products. MEND (Medicinal Excellence for Neurologic Disorders) will be the first-of-its-kind medical brand marijuana product.
  “Recreational and medicinal product are no different in Colorado,&rdquo
  
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• Delta’s IT crisis is over, but many passengers were left off course

  31-01-2017 01:15 via wivb.com
  
  NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (WIVB) – Thousands of air travelers were stranded after a computer outage caused Delta Airlines to cancel more than 300 flights over the weekend, but many of Delta’s passengers said they did not get a lot of help from the airline weighing their options.
  Niagara Falls native Heather Francis said she got vague answers from Delta representatives after finding out her flight to Atlanta was cancelled. She was to catch a connecting flight to Florida, “They gave u
  
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• Attorney: Conflicts exposed in holding center beating death

  31-01-2017 01:00 via wivb.com
  
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Erie County District Attorney John Flynn is making good on a campaign promise to investigate whether corrections officers at the Holding Center downtown should be held responsible for the 2012 death of Richard Metcalf Jr.
  But because Flynn said there’s a conflict in his office, he’s asking the DA in Niagara County to look into it.
  Attorney’s for Metcalf’s family said Monday they’ve uncovered not one conflict, but two conflicts, in the DA
  
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• University at Buffalo students stuck after immigration ban

  31-01-2017 00:25 via wivb.com
  
  AMHERST, N.Y. (WIVB) – Local university leaders are keeping a close eye on the developing immigration situation-. At University at Buffalo, international students are about 16 percent of the student body.
  It’s the first day of the semester, but some international students aren’t in class. University leaders are now trying to get them back into the country following the executive order. But they say there is confusion about how to do just that.
  University at Buffalo&rs
  
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• (PART ONE) Medical marijuana: exclusive access

  31-01-2017 00:18 via wivb.com
  
  DENVER, C.O. (WIVB)- In the heart of downtown Denver, you’ll find TGS corporate headquarters. The company has the top three floors of a high-rise on 17th street.
  It looks like your typical high-end business and in some ways, it is. The founders wear suits and discuss ideas in fancy board rooms. But these entrepreneurs aren’t in finance or real estate; they’re in pot, or cannabis, as they prefer to say.
  TGS stands for The Green Solution. It’s the brain child of four b
  
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