• Up to 135 Applebee’s Restaurants to be closed

    (WIVB) – Applebee’s will be closing between 105 and 135 restaurants, the chain’s parent company DineEquity announced in a report released Thursday.
    This revises the company’s previous plan to shutter 40 to 60 restaurants.
    DineEquity hasn’t released a list of restaurants which will close yet, but states that “the expected closures will be based on several criteria, including franchisee profitability, operational results and meeting our brand quality standards.&
  • Peeling plates? Get them replaced

    (WIVB) – Are your plates peeling?
    The Village of Kenmore Police Department said on their Facebook page Monday that the NYSDMV is aware that some older license plates mat show delamination (peeling) of their printed coating.
    License plates that are peeling should be exchanged for a new set of license plates free of charge. Plates that are showing natural use, fading, chips, or crash damage are not eligible for a free exchange.
    To request a new set of plates, visit a DMV office or contact th
  • BUFFALO POLICE: Arrest made in overnight crash on 198

    BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) – Buffalo Police have arrested a Buffalo male in connection with an overnight crash on Route 198 which resulted in two vehicles catching fire near Grant Street.
    Taylor Jones III, 31, of Buffalo, was arrested and charged with DWI and leaving the scene of a property damage accident.
    The crash occurred around 4 a.m.
    Buffalo Police say a vehicle was traveling westbound on 198 when it struck a parked construction vehicle.
    Both vehicles caught on fire. Buffalo Fire was calle
  • Niagara Falls says trash containers must be secured after tourist was struck

    NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (WIVB) — After a tourist was struck by a trash can, officials in Niagara Falls ordered that trash containers must be chained or secured.
    Authorities say the trash can dropped from a parking ramp.
    The extent of the person’s injuries and their specific location at that time are not clear.
    News 4 will have more information as soon as it is available.
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  • UB basketball player accused of strangling woman faces new charge

    TONAWANDA, N.Y. (WIVB) — A University at Buffalo basketball player is facing a new charge after getting arrested last month.
    Quate McKinzie was accused of trying to strangle a woman. Following his arrest, his bail was set at $15,000.
    Additional charges were filed against him after his initial arrest, and he remained in custody on no bail.
    He faces charges of Strangulation, Assault, Obstruction of Breathing, Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle, Witness Intimidation, Aggravated Harassment and Diso
  • Underground Wegmans to be built in D.C.

    WASHINGTON, D.C. (WIVB) — A new Wegmans is going to open in Washington D.C., but this one will be underground.
    Wegmans representative Michelle Mehaffy says underground stores are more common in larger cities, calling them “a way to maximize space in a building.”
    Mehaffy said D.C. is “a great location” to open a new store, and this particular one will be under the Fannie Mae headquarters.
    The project was taken on by Roadside Development.
    It is not clear when the
  • Bills kick off preseason Thursday against Vikings

    ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WIVB) — Football is back in Buffalo.
    The Bills start their preseason Thursday against the Minnesota Vikings at New Era Field.
    Kickoff is at 7 p.m.
    Head Coach Sean McDermott said we can expect to see the starters play for about a quarter
    If you want to go, there were about 4,000 tickets still available as of Thursday morning, and you can get one for two dollars.
  • The Buffalo Zoo welcomes baby addax

    BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — The Buffalo Zoo has welcomed a baby addax.
    The young animal was born on May 31 to mother Kay, 4, and 8-year-old father Bakari.
    Keepers at The Buffalo Zoo say the addax is doing great, but they need some help naming her.
    The options are:
    Kaba — a mix of the parents’ names
    Barakoa — a Swahili word for mask
    Suhailah — a North African name meaning “gentle soul”
    You can pick your favorite name here.
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  • Suburban Rochester woman charged with using barbell to kill 69-year-old boyfriend

    GREECE, N.Y. (AP) — Authorities say they’ve charged a woman with killing her 69-year-old boyfriend with a barbell weight inside his suburban Rochester home.
    Police in the town of Greece say Wednesday that 40-year-old Cynthia Whitaker, of Greece, was charged with manslaughter in the death of Michael Taylor.
    Investigators say the two were arguing inside Taylor’s home near the Lake Ontario shoreline when she tossed a barbell weight that hit him in the head.
    Police say Taylor&rsquo
  • New harbor seal pup named Zara

    NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (WIVB) — The new harbor seal pup born at the Aquarium of Niagara will be called Zara.
    The aquarium made the announcement on Thursday morning.
    On July 13, the pup was born to eight-year-old Zoey, who has been at the aquarium since 2012.
    “The pup is 100 percent healthy and weighs 46 pounds, and will continue to grow quickly,” the aquarium said last week.
    Thursday, they said “Harbor seal pups wean between 4 to 6 weeks. Zara is entering that stage soo
  • Back road to hope: Migrants flood Canada at remote outpost

    CHAMPLAIN, N.Y. (AP) — They have come from all over the United States, piling out of taxis, pushing strollers and pulling luggage, to the end of a country road in the north woods.
    Where the pavement stops, they pick up small children and lead older ones wearing Mickey Mouse backpacks around a “road closed” sign, threading bushes, crossing a ditch, and filing past another sign in French and English that says “No pedestrians.” Then they are arrested.
    Seven days a week
  • Williamsville schools may remove class ranking

    WILLIAMSVILLE, N.Y. (WIVB) — Will there be no more valedictorians in the Williamsville Central School District?
    The school board is considering a move away from ranking students by the strength of their grades.
    The proposal that the school board is considering would eliminate class rankings.
    School board members debated about what it would be replaced with.
    Another issue is whether class ranking systems like theirs make it harder for some students to get into college.
    School board member S
  • Rally Cat: Feline on field sets up Cardinals’ grand slam

    ST. LOUIS (AP) — The Cardinals have a friendly feline to thank for their rally against the Royals.
    With the bases loaded and two outs in the sixth on Tuesday night, the game was delayed for a couple minutes when a small, feisty cat sprinted onto the field at Busch Stadium.
    On the first pitch after play resumed, Yadier Molina hit a grand slam off Peter Moylan to give the Cardinals an 8-5 lead. The cat was instantly dubbed #RallyCat on Twitter, and St. Louis went on to wi
  • Copper cups could poison Moscow Mule drinkers

    LOS ANGELES (WIVB) — When making a Moscow Mule, many bartenders use cups that look like copper, but are actually stainless steel.
    There is a concern about actual copper cups. They could poison drinkers.
    According to health officials, the acid in the Moscow Mule cocktail can leech out the copper metal, and once it’s swallowed, it can cause stomach pains, unpleasant trips to the bathroom, or worse.
    Our CBS affiliate in Los Angeles spoke with customers at one bar, who appreciated the he
  • Erie County legislator introduces Made In America Act

    BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — A law being proposed would require Erie County to “buy American.”
    The goal is to help local business owners.
    Erie County Legislator Ted Morton introduced the Made In America Act.
    It would require Erie County to use American-made goods and services in any contract that’s more than $10,000.
    This would be similar to the state’s Buy American Act. The law requires road and bridge projects to be done with American iron and steel.
    Lancaster Area Cham
  • 2 shot overnight on Wyoming Ave.

    BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Buffalo police responded to the scene of a midnight shooting on Wyoming Ave.
    Officers were on the street’s 300 block just before 12:30 a.m.
    Two males were struck by gunfire, police say, and both were taken to ECMC.
    Anyone with information on the incident can call the confidential tip line at (716) 847-2255.
  • Big Brother’s WNY contestant safe after tonight’s episode

    (WIVB) – A “Big Brother” contestant from WNY is safe after this week’s episode.
    Mark Jansen, from Grand Island, went into tonight’s episode as a nominee for elimination.
    He won the power of veto during a heated competition and is now off the chopping block.
    You can watch Big Brother Thursday night at 9 p.m. on channel 4.
  • Joe’s Crab Shack in Amherst is closing

    AMHERST, N.Y. (WIVB) – Joe’s Crab Shack, a popular chain restaurant, is closing its doors at its Amherst location, its only Buffalo-Niagara region location.
    News 4 stopped by the restaurant today and found a sign stating that the location is permanently closed.
    The chain’s parent company filed for bankruptcy in June.
    Their closest remaining location is in Henrietta, near Rochester.
     
     
  • It’s Not Delivery. It’s DiGiorno Pizza spilled on interstate

    LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas highway officials shut down westbound lanes of a cross-country interstate for four hours so crews could pick up pizza.
    An 18-wheeler containing DiGiorno and Tombstone frozen pizzas scraped a bridge support and sliced open its trailer Wednesday, spilling them across Interstate 30 in front of the Arkansas Department of Transportation office. Agency spokesman Danny Straessle said the bridge had only cosmetic damage.
    I-30 was closed for a time in both directio
  • Youngstown woman found dead in NF identified

    YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WIVB) –  A Youngstown, Ohio man was taken into custody in Niagara Falls Wednesday evening after a woman’s body was found in the trunk of a parked silver Chevy Malibu.
    Niagara Falls Police confirm the body to be that of 28-year-old Anvia McKens, the man’s girlfriend.
    Niagara Falls police took JeShawn Elliott, 27, into custody about fifteen minutes after the vehicle was located in the city parking lot across from Tony Roma’s.
    Shortly before
  • Ohio murder suspect located in Niagara Falls, body found in vehicle

    YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WIVB) – A murder suspect from Youngstown, Ohio has been located in Niagara Falls. The body of a female was found in a vehicle in a lot about the block away.
    Youngstown police had been looking for the suspect after they received a call from a man around 4:30 p.m. who said his brother told him he just stabbed his girlfriend and was headed to Niagara Falls to commit suicide.
    The woman’s mother filed a missing persons report for her daughter and Youngstown pol
  • LIVE STREAM: Knife-wielding Ohio man arrested in Niagara Falls, body of dead woman found in car

    YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WIVB) –  A Youngtown, Ohio man was taken into custody in Niagara Falls this evening after a woman’s body was found inside of a silver Chevy Malibu in a parking lot.
    APP USERS | Tap here to watch a live update from police.
    Niagara Falls Police took JeShawn Elliot into custody about fifteen minutes after the vehicle was located in the city parking lot across from Tony Roma’s. Elliot reportedly lunged at police wielding a knife. He was tasered
  • Knife-wielding Ohio man arrested in Niagara Falls, body of dead woman found in car

    YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WIVB) –  A Youngtown, Ohio man was taken into custody in Niagara Falls this evening after a woman’s body was found inside of a silver Chevy Malibu in a parking lot.
    Niagara Falls Police took JeShawn Elliot into custody about fifteen minutes after the vehicle was located in the city parking lot across from Tony Roma’s. Elliot reportedly lunged at police wielding a knife. He was tasered.
    Youngstown Police had taken a call from someone claimin
  • Chautauqua County woman charged with stabbing another woman in back of neck

    PORTLAND, N.Y. (WIVB) – A Brocton woman is facing charges after allegedly stabbing another woman in the back of the neck with a knife.
    Stephanie Metzler, 23, of Brocton, was charged with second degree assault and third degree criminal mischief.
    New York State Police responded to Westfield Hospital in Chautauqua County to interview the victim, who said that Metzler had approached her from behind and stabbed her. Metzler allegedly then took and smashed the victim’s cell phone and conti
  • Jake Metz journey: Football on the other side of the world

    PITTSFORD, N.Y. (WIVB) – Jake Metz mindset is like many of the other new faces at this year’s Bills training camp.
    “Everyday I am learning and picking up and doing as best as I can,” Metz said after practice.
    But, his path to the Bills roster is quite unlike anyone else.
    “Out of college I went to camp with the Detroit Lions and I had some Arena football team’s reach out to me and I ended up playing for the home town team in Philadelphia,” the defens

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