• Councilman wants 10 percent pay cut for elected officials in Niagara Falls

    NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (WIVB)- Newly elected Niagara Falls Councilman Chris Voccio is pushing for a 10 percent pay cut for the city’s elected officials.
    “I’m calling upon my fellow council members to vote a 10 percent pay cut for us and for the Mayor, to set an example through the city,” Voccio told News 4.
    The proposal is part of his 10-5 plan; on top of cutting salaries of election officials, Voccio would like to trim overall city spending by 5 percent.
    “The city&rsq
  • Buffalo seeing positive results while retaining millennials

    BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Millennials are on the move to downtown Buffalo. That’s according to the latest Census which shows there’s a significant increase in the number of 25 to 34 year olds who are staying in the area and planting roots here.
    “There’s a lot of support nurturing this age group and what they want to do and how they can be successful,” said Thomas Kucharski, the president and CEO of Invest Buffalo Niagara.
    That support is coming from the publ
  • “Shark Girl” makes Huff Post list of Instagram-worthy subjects

    BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) – One of Buffalo’s most recognized works of art made The Huffington Post’s list of “35 Worthy Instagram Subjects in the Northeast USA”.
    The famous “Shark Girl” statue, which resides at Canalside, is number 17 of 35 of the list.
    The article states:
    Ever since Shark Girl has been installed here, she’s been an Instagram selfie darling. Things continue to get cooler at Canalside. Now, besides kayaks, you can rent Ice Bikes in winte
  • NY Gov. Cuomo unveils budget plan, calls for tax changes

    ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo vowed to fight back against Washington Republicans on Tuesday with a $168 billion state budget proposal that lays out spending on schools and mass transit while also confronting greater uncertainty in federal funding.
    The Democrat said he’ll urge lawmakers to consider restructuring the state tax system to soften the blow of the new federal tax overhaul enacted by Republicans. One idea is a new payroll tax which would largely r
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  • State task force pushes to ban plastic bags

    BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB)- They’re at every grocery store, pharmacy, or gas station; but they won’t be for long if a state task force gets it’s way.
    “It’s the convenience, but I definitely would not miss it. I think we should ban them altogether,” said Buffalo resident Diana Oishei.
    Saturday, the New York State Plastic Bag Task Force released a detailed report on the environmental threats of plastic bags, and how to stop them.
    One suggestion is outlawing the b
  • Authorities work against clock to clean up oil spill off China’s coast

    (CNN) – A massive oil tanker that sank off the coast of China could affect marine life for decades, environmentalists and experts say.The Iranian-owned Sanchi fell to the ocean floor Sunday, eight days after it collided with a Hong Kong-registered cargo ship, resulting in a toxic, fiery blaze that claimed the lives of 32 crew members.China’s State Oceanic Administration said several oil slicks have already been found, including one nearly 15 kilometers long (9.3 miles
  • UB men get boost from new faces, sit 1st in MAC east

    AMHERST, N.Y. (WIVB) – It has been the best start to 2018 that you could ask for for the UB men, 4-0, 1st play in the MAC east and undefeated in conference play. Coach Oats and the Bulls credit their defense for making it this far.
    “We have got a lot of confidence that if we guard people and play like we should that offense is going to follow,” the Buffalo head coach said. “And, our offense has been pretty good and I think we go as our defensive rebounding goes it has pic
  • Police hail courage of girl who escaped “horrific” home in California, told 911 of chained siblings

    PERRIS, Calif. — Two days after David and Louise Turpin’s 13 children, ages 2 to 29, were found locked inside their California home — three physically chained to furniture — police in Perris, California, lauded the 17-year-old girl who they say escaped from a window to alert authorities.
    Riverside County Sherrif’s Department Capt. Greg Fellows said at a Tuesday press conference that the malnourished girl called 911 from a deactivated cellphone and sho
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  • Gov. Cuomo’s $168 billion budget proposal includes $769 million increase for education, looking into legalizing marijuana

    NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is vowing to fight back against Washington Republicans with a state budget proposal that lays out spending on schools and mass transit while also confronting greater uncertainty in federal funding.
    Cuomo unveiled his $168 billion spending proposal on Tuesday. Lawmakers hope to approve a final budget by the April 1 deadline.
    The governor’s 2019 budget proposal holds most spending flat in order to eliminate a $
  • Buffalo Police investigating “stranger danger” incident involving suspect wearing ski mask

    BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) – Buffalo Police are looking into a “stranger danger” incident that occurred last week in the vicinity of Schutrum Street at Broadway Avenue.
    A parent told police her juvenile son was riding his bike in the area around 4:54 p.m. on Jan. 11 when an unknown black male driving a black pickup truck approached him.
    The suspect stated that he knew the boy’s father, and asked him to come inside the truck. The boy refused.
    The suspect then exited the truck an
  • Chautauqua County man charged with strangling, threatening to kill individual

    STOCKTON, N.Y. (WIVB) – A Chautauqua County man is facing multiple charges after allegedly strangling an individual and threatening to kill the person with a baseball bat.
    According to Chautauqua County Sheriff’s reports, Donald  C. Fiebelkorn, 46, of Stockton, also intentionally damaged the victim’s property and unplugged all the phones in the house to prevent the individual from calling 911.
    He then fled the scene by taking the victim’s vehicle without permission.
  • Report: Steve Bannon subpoenaed by special counsel

    (CBS) – Former White House strategist Steve Bannon has been subpoenaed by Special Counsel Robert Mueller as part of his ongoing probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election, according to the New York Times.
    The Times, citing a person with direct knowledge of the matter, reports that Bannon was issued a subpoena last week to testify before the grand jury. It adds that Mueller could potentially allow Bannon to avoid a grand jury appearance if he agrees to answering questions by
  • Gov. Cuomo says state will look into impact of legal marijuana

    ALBANY, NY (WROC) – As part of his budget address, Governor Andrew Cuomo says he wants the the Department of Health to look into the impact of legalizing marijuana on New York.
    The governor cited changes proposed in New Jersey and already made in Massachusetts.
    Cuomo says the Department of Health would study the health, economic and criminal justice impacts and any consequences New York could face.
    Despite passing a medical marijuana program, Governor Cuomo has stated in the past that he d
  • Tonawanda man charged with stealing vehicle, bank cards

    TONAWANDA, N.Y. (WIVB) – A City of Tonawanda man is facing multiple felony charges after police say he stole a vehicle from a Brookside Terrace driveway and used bank cards that were in the vehicle.
    Derek J. Schlifke, 30, of Scott Street, was arrested by City of Tonawanda Police Tuesday after being arrested by Cheektowaga Police on a shoplifting charge last week.
    He was charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle, two counts of grand larceny, and identity theft.
    The vehicle, a 1999 Jepp Gra
  • 10-year-old dies of flu after visit to Buffalo

    BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) – Connecticut health officials say a ten-year-old boy died from the flu, just hours after being in Buffalo for a youth hockey tournament.
    According to the New Canaan Health Director, Nico Mallozzi became sick in Connecticut on Thursday. He then traveled to Buffalo for the hockey tournament but never played because he became so sick. While in Buffalo, he was taken to Oishei and diagnosed with the flu.
    EMS was called while the boy was returning home. He was rushed to a h
  • 10-year-old dies from flu after visit to Buffalo

    BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) – A community in Connecticut is remembering a 10-year-old boy. He died after coming to Buffalo for a hockey tournament. Health officials in his hometown are now blaming the flu for his death.
    The boy’s name is Nico Mallozzi. He plays for the Connecticut Roughriders. They played in four games around the Buffalo-area Friday and Saturday.
    “He was absolutely a hockey player,” Bryan Luizzi told CBS affiliate WFSB. Luizzi is the superintendent of schoo
  • Couple charged after 13 children held captive inside California home

    Perris, C.A. (CBS News) – A married couple near Los Angeles is accused of holding their 13 children captive in their home and are facing charges of torture and child endangerment. Police say they were tipped off by a teenage daughter after she escaped from her parents, David and Louise Turpin, who are in jail being held on $9 million bail each.
    Their children range in age from two to 29 and officials say some of them were found chained to their beds. The parents of the male
  • New app contrasts selfies to works of art

    BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — People everywhere are seeing themselves in a new way:their faces, compared to works of art!
    The Google Arts and Culture app went live in December 2017.
    Once the selfies began showing up on Twitter and Facebook, the app quickly shot to the top of the app charts over the weekend.
    It’s currently the top rated app on both the App and Google Play Stores.The picture attached to this story shows how the app compares the faces of Wake Up! anchors Jordan Williams and Me
  • Royal couple’s story to air on Lifetime

    NEW YORK, N.Y. (WIVB) — You could see the life stories of Britain’s Prince Harry and American actress Meghan Markle, before they say “I do” this spring.
    The Lifetime TV network is creating a movie about their love story.
    A network representative shared the plans at the TV Critics Association Winter Press Tour, Sunday.
    The couple announced their engagement last fall.Their wedding is set for May 19.
    The Lifetime representative did not give an official air date, but she said
  • Police presence on Chippewa questioned after shots are fired Sunday morning

    BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB)- Buffalo Police have arrested a 28 year old Lackawanna man for firing a weapon in the city’s entertainment district.
    Snapchat video shows a man fire a gun into the air after a fight broke out. It happened around 3:45 am as the bars were about to close on West Chippewa.
    BPD took Patrick Franovich into custody, they told News 4 his intent is still unclear. He will be charged with reckless endangerment and possession of a loaded firearm.
    According to Buffalo Police,
  • WNY native, Fort Hood hero was in Hawaii during false missile alert

    (WIVB) – Western New York hero Maj. Patrick Miller said Saturday morning in Hawaii he could again feel adrenaline rushing through his body, when he saw a missile alert on his phone.
    The missile alert was sent in error. Hawaii’s emergency management administrator told CBS News that it was a mistake caused by an employee hitting the wrong button.
    Maj. Miller says he was sleeping at the time and didn’t hear the alert on his phone. From the time he woke up to the time he found out
  • Rob Gronkowski says “no” to Tide Pod challenge

    (WIVB) – Western New York native and New England Patriot Rob Gronkowski has a message for anyone thinking about trying a dangerous new social media trend.
    “No no no no- what the heck is going on, people use Tide Pods for washing, not eating,” Gronkowski said in a video posted to Tide’s Twitter page.
    What should Tide PODs be used for? DOING LAUNDRY. Nothing else.
    Eating a Tide POD is a BAD IDEA, and we asked our friend @robgronkowski to help explain. pic.twitter.com/0JnFdh
  • Following gubernatorial run announcement, Joel Giambra calls for legalization of recreational marijuana in NY

    BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — One of the people looking to take Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s job says marijuana can help restore transportation systems across New York State.
    Former Erie County executive Joel Giambra is calling for a legalization of recreational marijuana statewide.
    He says the tax revenue that comes from marijuana sales can help with transportation infrastructure, including the New York City subway system and roads and bridges all over the state.
    Recreational marijuana is now legal
  • WSW, Williamsville North & East Win

    BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) –
    West Seneca West 4, West Seneca East 2 FWilliamsville East 3, Hamburg 2 FWilliamsville North 6, Lancaster 3 FSt. Francis 5, Lockport 0 FCanisius 4, St. Joe’s 2 FKenmore West 3, Kenmore East 2Nichols 2, Sea Coast Prep 4 FNorth Tonawanda 3, Amherst 2
  • Buffalo residents invited to weigh in on city spending

    BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) – Buffalo residents have the chance to be a part of the city’s budget-making process through a first-of-its-kind hearing.
    The Clean Air Coalition of Western New York and several other organizations helped push for the hearing, which will be held 5:30 p.m. Tuesday in the City Council chambers.
    People will be able to voice their thoughts on how the city spends its money.
     
  • Buffalo woman turns 103

    BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) – A Buffalo woman celebrated her 103rd birthday on Monday.
    Ruth Moore was treated to lunch and cake. She is known for her sense of humor, and enjoys watching old movies and spending time with family.
    She used to work as a candy maker at Fowler’s Chocolates.
  • Early voting supporters in NY watching Cuomo’s next move

    ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) – New York is one of the last remaining states in the nation that doesn’t allow early voting.
    Groups that want to change that are now calling on Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo to include money in his state budget proposal to allow for the change, which they say could cost local election agencies about $7 million. Groups urging the governor to set aside the money include Citizen Action, Common Cause and the League of Women Voters.
    Cuomo has proposed a requirement
  • Towns want more help as state looks to extend tax cap

    MARILLA, N.Y. (WIVB) – Some state lawmakers are trying to make the tax cap permanent. It keeps property tax levies from going up more than two percent or the rate of inflation, whichever is less. That worries some local town supervisors, who are trying to figure out how to keep their communities funded.
    According to Marilla Town Supervisor Earl Gingerich Jr., the tax cap law, “needs some reform.”
    Gingerich took office in 2014, and since then, says the bills keep going up,
  • 13 people held captive in California home, police say

    (CNN) – Two parents were arrested after police discovered that 13 people were being held captive in their California home, shackled to beds with chains and padlocks in filthy conditions, officials said Monday.The victims ranged in age from 2 to 29, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement.One victim, a 17-year-old girl, managed to escape from the residence in Perris, California on Sunday and called 911, police said.The girl claimed her 12 brothers and siste

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