Buffalo news

• Giant Equifax data breach: 143 million people could be affected

  07-09-2017 23:50 via wivb.com
  (WIVB) – Equifax says a giant cybersecurity breach compromised the personal information of as many as 143 million Americans — almost half the country.
  Cyber criminals have accessed sensitive information — including names, social security numbers, birth dates, addresses, and the numbers of some driver’s licenses.
  Scott Laughlin of Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Buffalo shudders at the thought of this security breach at Equifax, “It is one of the largest and mo
  
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• Red Cross offers free emergency app for crisis situations

  07-09-2017 22:15 via wivb.com
  (WIVB) – Are you or your loved ones in the path of Hurricane Irma?
  The Red Cross offers a free Download Emergency App to help in crisis situations, including hurricanes, extreme heat, and wildfires.
  The emergency app contains more than 35 emergency alerts to keep users safe. It also contains information about what to do in case of floods, thunderstorms, hot weather, tornadoes, wildfires, and more.
  Other features of the app include:
  The emergency alerts are available for the user’s lo
  
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• WNYers in Florida prepare for Hurricane Irma

  07-09-2017 22:07 via wivb.com
  PORT RICHEY, FLA. (WIVB)- Hurricane Irma has left several dead and millions without power in parts of the Caribbean. The category five storm is expected to strike south Florida by the end of the week.
  Mandatory evacuations are in place for the Florida Keys, and more are expected for other parts of south Florida.
  West Seneca native Chad Goodwin lives in Port Richey. He’s never experienced a hurricane before, having moved to the Sunshine State just five months ago.
  “I really didn&
  
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• Two charged with selling crack cocaine in Warsaw parking lot

  07-09-2017 21:48 via wivb.com
  WARSAW, N.Y. (WIVB) – Two people have been charged with selling a large quantity of suspected crack cocaine in a Warsaw parking lot Aug. 31.
  Shawn Hunter, 33, of Rochester, and Jenna Josephite, 28, of Batavia were charged after selling the suspected drugs to a subject who had been under surveillance by members of the Wyoming County Drug Task Force in a parking lot at the Warsaw Shopping Plaza.
  Both suspects were charged with third degree criminal sale of a controlled substance and third de
  
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• Man struck by car in Grand Island

  07-09-2017 21:32 via wivb.com
  GRAND ISLAND, N.Y. (WIVB) – A Grand Island man was struck by a vehicle Tuesday after walking in front of incoming traffic on Bedell Road in front of the Country Glen Apartments, the Grand Island Fire Company said in a statement on Thursday.
  According to the fire company, Robret Shoemaker, 32, of Grand Island was found lying face down in a road side ditch after being struck by a car. He was treated by a GIFC EMS crew for upper and lower bodily injuries, then stabilized and transported to th
  
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• AG Schneiderman warns of fentanyl-laced pills disguised as oxycodone

  07-09-2017 18:57 via wivb.com
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — A potentially lethal new drug has shown up in western New York, and on Thursday, Attorney General Eric Schneiderman issued a warning about it.
  Investigators with Schneiderman’s Organized Crime Task Force were able to intercept a package containing 500 blue pills that looked like oxycodone.
  It turned out that they weren’t oxycodone, but instead, they were laced with fentanyl.
  That was the first time fentanyl-laced pills appeared in the local region, b
  
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• GALLERY: Dark clouds, water spouts in the morning

  07-09-2017 18:14 via wivb.com
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Water spouts and dark clouds were spotted coming in off of Lake Erie Thursday morning. Here are photos that viewers sent us before the rain came down. Before the rain Photo courtesy of Bob Foot in SheridanPhoto courtesy of Brandon in DunkirkPhoto courtesy of Chris at Buffalo State CollegePhoto courtesy of Conor at Ridge Rd., facing downtownPhoto courtesy of Danielle in AngolaPaula's photo of Wright Park in DunkirkPhoto courtesy of StevePhoto courtesy of MarkPhoto cou
  
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• Gowanda students offered flexible seating options in classrooms

  07-09-2017 17:18 via wivb.com
  GOWANDA, N.Y. (WIVB) – When most adults think back to their days in school, they remember sitting in standard desks in standard rows facing the teacher at the front of the classroom. But, in some classrooms in Gowanda, the standard desks are one of many seating options for students.
  “We’re just trying to teach students in a way that they can be comfortable when they learn, and so we’re giving them some options for the seating,” explained James Klubek, Superintendent
  
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• 948-pound pumpkin grows in Russia

  07-09-2017 17:13 via wivb.com
  MOSCOW, Russia (WIVB) — This may be a pale pumpkin, but most gourds pale in comparison to it.
  People watched as the “Atlantic Giant Pumpkin” went on a scale after being grown for six months in Russia.
  The pumpkin was at least 948 pounds.
  People took pictures, and then it was brought to a college garden in Moscow.
  
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• Harvey deaths held down by heeded warnings, rescues, luck

  07-09-2017 16:52 via wivb.com
  (AP) — Harvey has so far killed at least 70 people who drowned in floods, got crushed by trees and died during power outages — a surprisingly low toll that experts say reflects heeded warnings, swift action by first responders and volunteers, and no small amount of luck.
  “It was astounding that we didn’t have a much larger loss of life,” said Phil Bedient, co-director of a Rice University effort to research severe storms and evacuations. “It is a relatively lo
  
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• Reward offered for information on fatal Cheektowaga hit-and-run

  07-09-2017 16:28 via wivb.com
  CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. (WIVB) — Crime Stoppers is offering up to $1,000 for information on a fatal hit-and-run in Cheektowaga.
  The incident occurred shortly before 5 a.m. on August 8. It took place on Genesee St. in front of the Buffalo Niagara International Airport.
  At the time, 55-year-old Depew resident Robert Prigl was crossing the street when a vehicle struck him.
  The vehicle is described as an older GM product, possibly from the 1970s or 80s.
  Examples of this kind of car are:
  Buick R
  
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• Former UB VP, another former employee suspected in theft of hundreds of thousands of dollars from school

  07-09-2017 15:11 via wivb.com
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Former University at Buffalo Vice President Dennis Black and former Director of Campus Living Andrea Constantino, are expected to admit to stealing funds from the school.
  The two were scheduled to appear in State Supreme Court Thursday morning.
  They were suspected in the theft of hundreds of thousands of dollars from a school bank account.
  Black resigned from his position with UB in July 2016 after working for the school for 38 years. Constantino, who worked for
  
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• Former UB VP, another former employee admit to theft of hundreds of thousands of dollars from school

  07-09-2017 15:11 via wivb.com
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Former University at Buffalo vice president Dennis Black and former Director of Campus Living, Andrea Constantino, appeared in State Supreme Court Thursday morning.
  The two were suspected in the theft of hundreds of thousands of dollars from a school bank account.
  Constantino pleaded guilty to Grand Larceny. She must pay back $14,664.
  Black, 61, later admitted to the same crime, as well as Offering a False Instrument for Filing related to his 2014
  
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• Trump wants Democratic support for tax pitch

  07-09-2017 15:10 via wivb.com
  MANDAN, N.D. (AP) — President Donald Trump made an overt pitch for Democrats to support his tax overhaul plan, singling out a North Dakota Democratic senator whose vote would be prized by the White House.
  Delivering an outdoor speech to a crowd of hundreds at an oil refinery Wednesday, Trump called for the state’s governor and congressional delegation to join him on stage, including Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, the only statewide elected Democrat in heavily Repu
  
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• Crews begin turning Buffalo warehouse into apartment complex

  07-09-2017 14:34 via wivb.com
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Work is underway to transform a warehouse on Swan St. in Buffalo into new apartments.
  City leaders helped kick off the project Wednesday afternoon.
  The former Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company warehouse was built in 1910.
  The 800-story building will soon house more than 100 one and two-bedroom apartments.
  
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• 7-acre corn maze made in Indiana

  07-09-2017 13:44 via wivb.com
  CORNER PRAIRIE, Ind. (WIVB) — The competition is growing to see who has built the best corn maze in the country.
  In the video above, check out one from Corner Prairie, Indiana.
  The seven-acre maze took two years to make with help from a company in Missouri.
  GPS was used to design the course.
  They’re offering two courses — an easy one for kids and a tougher one that’s three miles long.
  
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• Hurricane Irma toll hits 10, increasing threat for Florida

  07-09-2017 12:23 via wivb.com
  SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Fearsome Hurricane Irma cut a path of devastation across the northern Caribbean, leaving at least 10 dead and thousands homeless after destroying buildings and uprooting trees on a track Thursday that could lead to a catastrophic strike on Florida.
  The most potent Atlantic Ocean hurricane ever, Irma weakened only slightly Thursday morning and remained a powerful Category 5 storm with winds of 180 mph (285 kph), according to the U.S. National
  
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• Hurricane Irma brings death, destruction to the Caribbean

  07-09-2017 12:23 via wivb.com
  SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Hurricane Irma has killed at least 10 people as the dangerous Category 5 storm continued its destructive march across the Caribbean early Thursday.
  At least eight people were killed and 23 injured in French Caribbean island territories, France’s interior minister said. Speaking Thursday on French radio France Info, French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb said the death toll in Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthelemy could be higher because rescue team
  
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• WNY’ers rush to leave Florida as Hurricane Irma heads their way

  07-09-2017 05:17 via wivb.com
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — As Hurricane Irma heads towards Florida, residents rush to get out of the category 5 hurricane’s path.
  Niagara-Wheatfield native Robert Phillips is packing up his stuff and returning to Buffalo. He’s been living in Fort Lauderdale for the last two years, but is leaving days ahead of the historic hurricane.
  “When I see people leaving that I know have been down here their entire lives, it’s time to go,” said Phillips.
  Phillips owns an
  
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• Three Democratic mayoral candidates face off in final debate

  07-09-2017 04:53 via wivb.com
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) – Buffalo’s three Democratic mayoral candidates faced off for the final time Wednesday night.
  The Democratic primary election will be held Tuesday.
  Incumbent mayor Byron Brown and challengers Betty Jean Grant and Mark Schroeder faced off on issues such as zoning regulations, violence in the city, and lead poisoning.
  
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• Fantasy Island prepares for new “Halloween Horror” attraction

  07-09-2017 04:49 via wivb.com
  GRAND ISLAND, N.Y. (WIVB) – Fantasy Island will have a spooky new attraction this October.
  The theme park held open auditions Wednesday for its new “Halloween Horror” attraction, which will run weekend evenings from Sept. 30 through the end of October.
  For more information, click here.
  
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• Empty shelves, lines for plywood- a WNY native shares pictures as Florida preps for Irma

  07-09-2017 04:23 via wivb.com
  CAPE CORAL, FLORIDA (WIVB) – A Tonawanda native currently living in Cape Coral, Florida, sent in photos of the city in southwest Florida as residents prepare for Hurricane Irma to strike.
  “We are preparing for this- we are in the line of fire for the storm,” Matthew Merecki wrote in a Facebook message to News 4.
  One photo showed a long line forming at a gas station as residents fueled up in anticipation of the storm.
  PHOTO/Matthew Merecki 
  Another photo, taken Wednesday ev
  
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• 7 live sharks, 3 dead ones found in home’s basement pool

  07-09-2017 03:27 via wivb.com
  LAGRANGEVILLE, N.Y. (AP) — Seven live sharks and three dead ones have been seized from a pool in the basement of a home in New York’s Hudson Valley.
  The state Department of Environmental Conservation said Wednesday officers searching a home in the Dutchess County hamlet of LaGrangeville last month found a 15-foot-diameter aboveground basement pool with seven live sandbar sharks, two dead leopard sharks and one dead hammerhead shark.
  Officials say all the sharks were 2 feet (0.6 meter
  
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• Rochester man arrested for flying drone near New Era Field

  07-09-2017 02:39 via wivb.com
  ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WIVB)- A Rochester man faces charges after he was caught with a drone near New Era Field during Tuesday night’s U2 concert. Drones are banned near the stadium during events.
  According to Orchard Park Police, Joseph Danno, 39, was caught flying it above the bus lot outside New Era Field around 8 p.m.
  Danno is now charged with trespassing with an unmanned aircraft and faces a $250 fine or 15 days in jail.
  “That wasn’t the smartest move by that gentleman l
  
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• “It’s terrifying”: Floridians prepare for possibility of a direct Irma hit

  07-09-2017 02:22 via wivb.com
  (CBS NEWS) – President Trump has declared an emergency in Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands — all threatened by Hurricane Irma, a Category 5 storm that has already turned deadly on the islands of the Caribbean.
  The National Hurricane Center says chances have grown for a direct hit on Florida — possibly as soon as the weekend.
  In South Florida, mandatory evacuations began Wednesday. Many Floridians have been left scrambling to find supplies to board
  
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• Scajaquada off-ramp closed again, this time for cleanup

  07-09-2017 02:19 via wivb.com
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) – Buffalo commuters might remember the frustration of avoiding the Elmwood Avenue off-ramp from Scajaquada Expressway that was closed for two years, and the relief they felt just a few months ago when the ramp re-opened.
  The ramp is closed again, but city and state officials say, drivers might appreciate why the ramp is closed so soon after the re-opening—a cleaner Scajaquada Creek.State transportation officials closed the Elmwood Avenue northbound ramp during t
  
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• Youngest Manson follower granted parole again

  07-09-2017 01:37 via wivb.com
  (AP) – Leslie Van Houten, the youngest of Charles Mason’s murderous followers, has been granted parole by a California board.
  Van Houten, who was 19 when she killed for Manson in 1969, appeared before a parole panel for the 21st time Wednesday.
  Gov. Jerry Brown now has a 120-day period to affirm, reverse or take no action on the decision.
  Last year, a similar panel granted her parole but was overruled by the governor.
  Over two nights in August 1969, Manson’s ragtag band of foll
  
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• Amherst Police looking for suspect in “quick change” scheme

  07-09-2017 01:00 via wivb.com
  AMHERST, N.Y. (WIVB) – Amherst Police are looking for a person of interest in a “quick change” incident from a Niagara Falls Boulevard store in July.
  Pictured in the security footage is a white male police would like to identify
  Anyone who recognizes the person of interest or has any information related to the crime is asked to call the Amherst Police Detective Bureau at 689-1342 or email to [email protected] or text to 562-TIPS and reference AMH 17-743239-TWe. 
  
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