Buffalo news

• Toys ‘R’ Us will close or sell all US stores

  14-03-2018 23:58 via wivb.com
  (CNN) – Toys “R” Us is closing its doors after 70 years in business.
  The iconic toy retailer will shut or sell all of its almost 800 stores in the United States, a source familiar with the matter told CNNMoney on Wednesday.
   The company’s CEO, David Brandon, notified employees earlier in the day, according to an earlier report by The Wall Street Journal.
  
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• Teacher, reserve cop accidentally fires gun in Calif. high school, police say

  14-03-2018 23:52 via wivb.com
  SEASIDE, Calif. — A teacher accidentally fired a gun inside a classroom here on Tuesday afternoon and a student was slightly hurt, authorities said. Dennis Alexander was teaching public safety for his Administration of Justice class in Seaside High School when a shot went off around 1:20 p.m., reports CBS Monterey, California affiliate KION-TV.
  Alexander is also a reserve police officer for Sand City Police, authorities said.
  Alexander “accidentally discharged his firearm i
  
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• UPDATE: UB South’s Foster Hall reopened following Hazmat incident

  14-03-2018 22:03 via wivb.com
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) – UB South’s Foster Hall has been reopened following a Hazmat situation Wednesday afternoon. 
  The building was evacuated due to a chemical reaction, a UB spokesperson said Wednesday. The reaction involved harmless magnesium chloride.
  One person has been taken to ECMC as a precaution after inhaling the chemicals.
  BREAKING: Buffalo fire on scene of a Level 1 Hazmat at the UB South Campus Foster Hall. 1 person injured. Traffic could be affected in area
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• 6 US soldiers in mountain warfare training hit by avalanche

  14-03-2018 21:14 via wivb.com
  CAMBRIDGE, Vt. (AP) — An avalanche has hit Vermont’s tallest peak, injuring six U.S. Army soldiers training in mountain warfare.
  The Vermont National Guard said the soldiers were evacuated Wednesday afternoon shortly after the avalanche hit.
  The training was taking place in Easy Gully in Smugglers Notch, a narrow pass at the edge of Mount Mansfield.
  Five soldiers were taken to the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington. There is no word on their conditions.
  The sixth sold
  
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• Judge enters not guilty plea for Parkland shooter Nikolas Cruz

  14-03-2018 20:55 via wivb.com
  (CNN) – A judge entered a plea of not guilty on Nikolas Cruz’s behalf as the teen was arraigned Wednesday in last month’s massacre at a South Florida high school — on the same day students across the country walked out of class to demand stricter gun laws because of the killings.A Broward County grand jury last week indicted the 19-year-old gunman on 17 counts of premeditated murder in the first degree and 17 counts of attempted murder in th
  
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• Sen. Chuck Schumer wants Toys ‘R’ Us to cash out your unused gift cards

  14-03-2018 20:49 via wivb.com
  (CNN) – Senator Chuck Schumer wants Toys “R” Us to cash out unused gift cards.“The music is about to stop for the iconic retailer,” Schumer said in a statement on Wednesday, “and consumers could be left in the lurch.”
  The struggling company declared bankruptcy in September. The retailer announced on Wednesday that it is closing all of its UK stores. It is expected to close its US stores for good as soon as this week.
  Schumer said that
  
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• Witnesses: Albany-area police try to run over raccoon

  14-03-2018 20:35 via wivb.com
  RAVENA, N.Y. (NEWS10) – Many are outraged after a viral video shows what appears to be a local police department driving directly at a raccoon in a grocery store parking lot.
  It was right in the Shop and Save parking lot where many witnesses say they saw two police vehicles intentionally trying to run down a raccoon.
  One woman even caught it on camera, now she wants answers.
  Bryanna Catucci still can’t believe what she saw.
  “I was in complete shock,” Catucci said.
  On Mond
  
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• Niagara Falls High School students join national student walkout movement

  14-03-2018 18:50 via wivb.com
  NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (WIVB) — Students sat in silence for 17 minutes in the Niagara Falls High School auditorium as the names of the 17 people killed in Parkland, Florida were read one minute at a time.
  The walkout was moved indoors due to the weather, but more than 20 students still chose to stand in silence outdoors.
  “The fact that we were standing outside in the cold and freezing wind chill shows that we’re extremely dedicated to what’re talking about,” said Olivi
  
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• Police: 3 arrested after attack at Buffalo school

  14-03-2018 18:26 via wivb.com
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Police say a girl was attacked by three other females outside of Buffalo Public School #59 on Tuesday.
  Two teenagers and an 18-year-old were arrested after Buffalo police say an attack happened during dismissal.
  According to police, the suspects, who they say jumped another student, were armed with a knife.
  The suspects in the attack were charged with assault, criminal possession of a weapon and menacing. The 18-year-old and one of the teens were also charg
  
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• People wear purple Wednesday to raise awareness for women in STEM careers

  14-03-2018 17:33 via wivb.com
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) – People around the country are wearing purple Wednesday, in support of women in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.
  This is the third year for the ‘Dress for STEM’ movement. It began solely within the female broadcast meteorology community. This year it has expanded to include any females working in STEM careers. The goal of the movement is to inspire young women to pursue higher education in STEM fields and also to br
  
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• Erie County authorities seeking Ransomville man

  14-03-2018 17:20 via wivb.com
  RANSOMVILLE, N.Y. (WIVB) — The Erie County Sheriff’s Office is looking for a Ransomville man.
  It is not clear why they are looking for him, but Leslie Huntington, 36, is being sought by authorities.
  As of 2016, Huntington was living at an address on Youngstown-Lockport Rd.
  Anyone with information on Huntington’s whereabouts can call the Sheriff’s Office at (716) 858-2903.
  
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• Wegmans recalls sushi sauce over allergy concern

  14-03-2018 16:16 via wivb.com
  ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — Wegmans is recalling its Thai Sweet Chili Sauce over an allergy concern.
  The grocer says the following products don’t list eggs as a potential ingredient in the sauce:Wegmans Avocado Summer Roll, 2 Pack, 5 oz.UPC: 2-48762-00000 or 2-48920-00000Only packages with a use by date of 3/10/18 are affected.
  Wegmans Assorted Gyoza, Family Pack, 17 oz.UPC: 2-48798-00000 or 2-48963-00000Only packages with use by dates from 3/9/18 through 3/12/18 are affected.
  Thai Swee
  
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• Another snowy morning closes some schools, slows many commuters

  14-03-2018 16:12 via wivb.com
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) – Western New Yorkers woke up again to another blanket of fresh snow, with more snow falling through the hours of the morning commute.
  It’s the second day in a row for winter weather conditions slowing down drivers on their way to school or work.
  Mainlines were backed up and moving well under normal speeds through much of the morning drive time.
  A handful of schools in Western New York cancelled classes for the day because of safety concerns on the roads.
  The Eri
  
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• Cashless tolling to start in Grand Island on March 29

  14-03-2018 15:49 via wivb.com
  GRAND ISLAND, N.Y. (WIVB) — The Thruway Authority says cashless tolling will begin at the Grand Island Bridge toll barriers on March 29.
  Previously, Grand Island Town Supervisory Nate McMurray said he wanted to bring cashless tolls to the island.
  His goal was to either get rid of the tolls at the Grand Island bridges, or bring in cashless tolling. The reason is that he thinks it will help reduce pollution and traffic.
  Gov. Cuomo came to Grand Island this past August to announce that the to
  
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• Students flee evacuation center at school after someone screams ‘get down on the ground’

  14-03-2018 15:24 via wivb.com
  CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — L.C. Bird High School in Virginia has been evacuated after the school received a threat over the phone Wednesday morning, according to schools officials.
  Police requested the school relocate students to an evacuation center while authorities search the building.
  A video from Nexstar contributing reporter Nick Conigliaro on scene shows students fleeing from the evacuation center after someone allegedly opened a door and screamed “Get down on the grou
  
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• US students stage school walkouts to protest gun violence

  14-03-2018 14:56 via wivb.com
  (AP) — Young people in the U.S. walked out of school to demand action on gun violence Wednesday in what activists hoped would be the biggest demonstration of student activism yet in response to last month’s massacre in Florida.
  More than 3,000 walkouts were planned across the U.S. and around the world, organizers said. Students were urged to leave class at 10 a.m. local time for 17 minutes — one minute for each victim in the Feb. 14 attack at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High Schoo
  
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• Giambra says legal pot could bring $500 million to state each year

  14-03-2018 14:40 via wivb.com
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — A former Erie County Executive, who now plans to run for governor, says marijuana tax revenues could bring hundreds of millions of dollars to the state.
  Candidate Joel Giambra was originally aiming for the Republican nomination in this year’s gubernatorial race, but later decided to run as an independent candidate.
  According to Giambra, based on research he commissioned, an excise tax of 13 percent on top of local and state taxes on legal marijuana would a
  
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• Walmart’s online same-day grocery ready for prime-time

  14-03-2018 13:20 via wivb.com
  NEW YORK (AP) — Walmart is expanding its same-day online grocery delivery service to more than 40 percent of U.S. households, or 100 metro areas, by year-end as it tries to keep pace with online leader Amazon.com.
  The service is currently available in six markets.
  Tom Ward, vice president of Walmart’s digital operations, says the retail giant is powering the expansion of its same-day delivery service using its online grocery pickup program. That service uses personal shoppers to sele
  
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• Star Wars? President Trump proposes military space force

  14-03-2018 12:06 via wivb.com
  WASHINGTON (AP) — America should create its own separate military space force, President Donald Trump mentioned in an offhand remark Tuesday that would change the course of U.S. space policy.
  But don’t expect Captain Kirk ordering phasers set on stun, Battlestar Galactica or ray guns blazing in orbit in the near future, space experts said. And some said a military space force may make it harder to keep Earth’s orbit a place of peace.
  Saying his national security strategy &ldquo
  
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• Toys “R” Us liquidation could cost tens of thousands of jobs

  14-03-2018 11:51 via wivb.com
  (CBS News) — Toys “R” Us is expected to start court proceedings to liquidate as soon as Thursday. That’s a first legal step in moving to close all of its 850 brick-and-mortar stores in the U.S. — and to lay off up to 33,000 workers.
  The retailer, which declared bankruptcy in September, was unable to convince creditors to refinance its more than $5 billion in debt, a crushing load that experts say hampered its ability to adapt to the growth in online shopping, a
  
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• United Airlines apologizes after dog dies when attendant orders it put in overhead

  14-03-2018 07:29 via wivb.com
  (CBS News) — Three hours in an overhead compartment proved too much for a 10-month-old puppy, who died on a United Airlines flight from Houston to New York Monday night.
  United Continental (UAL) apologized for the dog’s death in an emailed statement on Tuesday, calling it a “tragic accident that should never have occurred, as pets should never be placed in the overhead bin.”
  Shortly after boarding United Flight 1284 to New York’s LaGuardia, a passenger was
  
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• Activists lay thousands of shoes outside Capitol for children killed by gun violence

  14-03-2018 07:11 via wivb.com
  WASHINGTON, D.C. (CBS News)  — Thousands of shoes were laid outside the Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday to represent children who have been killed by gun violence. Avaaz, an international advocacy group, planned the demonstration to honor victims killed since the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012.
  CBS affiliate WUSA reports that the group based the protest on research from the American Academy of Pediatrics that found approximately 1,300 children
  
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• Adams hits buckets late as Stockard powers Bonnies past UCLA, into First Round of NCAA Tournament

  14-03-2018 07:08 via wivb.com
  DAYTON, OH (WIVB) – Survive and advance.  That’s the slogan this time of year.
  St. Bonaventure did just that Tuesday night in Dayton, surviving a terrible shooting night from senior Jaylen Adams, who in turn actually came up up clutch scoring five of his eight points in the final minute to power the Bonnies out of the First Four and into the First Round of the Big Dance with a 65-58 win over #11 UCLA.
  The victory is the first for the program since 1970 —  a moment not
  
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• Study finds asbestos in Claire’s makeup products marketed to teens

  14-03-2018 06:04 via wivb.com
  NEW YORK (CBS News) — Tests performed by a consumer watchdog group found asbestos in three products marketed to children by the makeup company Claire’s, several weeks after the company pulled products from shelves following customer complaints.
  The U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG), a non-profit group, says it commissioned tests of 15 makeup products containing talc from an “accredited laboratory,” including four from Claire’s. Three of the Claire&rsqu
  
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• Theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking has died at 76

  14-03-2018 05:14 via wivb.com
  LONDON (AP) — Stephen Hawking, whose brilliant mind ranged across time and space though his body was paralyzed by disease, has died, a family spokesman said.
  “He was a great scientist and an extraordinary man whose work and legacy will live on for many years,” his children Lucy, Robert and Tim said in a statement.
  The best-known theoretical physicist of his time, Hawking wrote so lucidly of the mysteries of space, time and black holes that his book, “A Brief History of Ti
  
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• St. Bonaventure wins first tournament game since 1970

  14-03-2018 05:09 via wivb.com
  DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — Courtney Stockard returned from a hamstring injury and scored 26 points, and Jaylen Adams made a jumper and three free throws in the final minute Tuesday night, rallying St. Bonaventure to a 65-58 victory over UCLA and its first NCAA Tournament victory in 48 years.
  The 11th-seeded Bonnies (26-7) will play sixth-seeded Florida (20-12) in Dallas on Thursday night in the East region.
  St. Bonaventure set a school record with its 26th win. Stockard got the Bonnies in positio
  
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• New documents say county knew of Dirschberger’s past as sexual harasser, abuser

  14-03-2018 02:27 via wivb.com
   
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Erie County leaders were aware of previous sexual harassment claims against their former Commissioner of Social Services — and did nothing to protect the woman who says he man raped her repeatedly on a taxpayer-funded trip to Albany.
  That’s the claim in new documents filed Tuesday with the Erie County Legislature.
  Al Dirschberger, who resigned at the end of 2017, was indicted in January on rape and criminal sexual assault charges.
  The charges stem
  
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• 2018-2019 Shea’s season to include Hamilton, Aladdin, Dear Evan Hansen

  14-03-2018 00:58 via wivb.com
  BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) – Shea’s Performing Arts Center announced its 2018-2019 season Tuesday, which includes the Broadway smash Hamilton.The 2018-2019 lineup is as follows:Disney’s Aladdin – AUGUST 8 – 19, 2018
  Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – SEPTEMBER 22 – 29, 2018
  Fiddler on the Roof – OCTOBER 30 – NOVEMBER 4, 2018
  Hamilton – NOVEMBER 20 – DECEMBER 9, 2018
  Miss Saigon – FEBRUARY 26 – MARCH 3, 2
  
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• Puppy dies after United flight attendant forces it to ride in overhead bin

  14-03-2018 00:07 via wivb.com
  ARLINGTON, Va. — Outrage has been building on social media over a picture of a family’s French bulldog puppy, dead in its carrier, after a United Airlines flight attendant forced them to put the bag holding the dog in an overhead bin.
  The dog belonged to a mother traveling with two young children from Houston to New York’s LaGuardia Airport Monday night. Before takeoff, the bag apparently extended into the aisle. Online posts from witnesses said the passenger explaine
  
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