Buffalo News (BETA)

The first shot has been fired in the debate over how public officials-- and the public--are going to deal with the handful of black bears still roaming around northern Erie County and Niagara County.

NIAGARA FALLS -- The music will play again inside Holy Trinity Church.

WASHINGTON -- Six months into Barack Obama's presidency, his Democratic allies are pushing for twin investigations into Bush-era torture and anti-terrorism policies.

There is an African folktale about a race between a hare and a chameleon.

The FBI and IRS executed search warrants on Niagara Falls City Hall and a plumbing business in the Cataract City today. Agents are trying to flush out suspected corruption.

Walter Cronkite, the premier TV anchorman of the networks' golden age who reported a tumultuous time with reassuring authority and came to be called "the most trusted man in America," has died. He was 92.

Members of the New York Tea Party, an anti-tax group, protested outside a swanky Buffalo restaurant this afternoon as senate Democrats held a $5,000 per plate fundraiser inside.

Many Sunset Bay residents are complaining about beachgoers illegally parking and overcrowding the streets near Sunset Bay Beach. Thousands of people can be found at that beach on a weekend day. An open parking spot within half a mile can be hard to find.

Denine King has alot going for her, with a contagious enthusiasm, degree from Cornell in chemical engineering, and a close knit family in Buffalo. The only thing Denine king doesn't have is a job.

LE ROY, N.Y. (AP) -- Jell-o is celebrating the 20th anniversary of "Jell-o Jigglers" with a special exhibit at the Jell-o Museum near Rochester. The colorful, fruit-flavored gelatin dessert was invented in Le Roy, New York, about 23 miles southwest of Rochester.

The parents of two Wilson High School junior varsity baseball players, who told authorities they were assaulted on a team bus, have filed a civil suit against the school district.

NEW YORK (AP) -- A bankruptcy judge has postponed Delphi's bankruptcy auction until Tuesday. U.S. Judge Robert Drain approved the auction's delay after a chambers conference on Thursday that was attended by Delphi Corp., its creditors committee, General Motors Co. and the U.S. government.

A statement on Kid Rock's website says a driver for the band, charged with DWI after leaving Darien Lake this week, has been fired by the company he worked for.

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Runners sidestepped the raindrops for tonight's Subaru Buffalo 4-Mile Chase.

Renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted is the source of another lasting Buffalo legacy.

FBI agents were crawling all over City Hall in Niagara Falls today.

It may sound hard to believe but some people treat an ambulance like a taxi service.

A second and third lawsuit have been filed against the Wilson School District in connection with baseball team hazings.

Leaders of Martin House Restoration Corp. and Democratic members of the state Senate announced Friday a $3 million grant to help fund the restoration of the Darwin D. Martin House.

Bank of America, the sixth-largest bank in Western New York, has registered its second straight quarterly profit.

Boston’s arena -- commonly known as "the Garden" -- has a new name.

Buffalo State College is getting closer to meeting a match-grant requirement that has brought new funds to the art conservation department, thanks to a recent $75,000 grant from The Margaret L. Wendt Foundation.

Niagara County is saddled with a double-digit unemployment rate, as are four Western New York cities.

4 balloons launch during a Friday morning media launch, perfect launch Friday and Saturday morning!

There was nothing left but a few carrot sticks after a crowd of nearly 200 people gathered on the lawn of the David A. Howe Library for the 9th Annual Best Pizza Contest in Wellsville Tuesday night.

Allegany County leaders don’t know how much the county’s bond rating will change, but they say there will be a potential improvement following this week’s news of the $6,445,000 revenue surplus for 2008.

The county was in great financial shape at the end of last year — the best shape it’s been in in awhile — County Administrator John Margeson told the Board of Legislators Monday.

157 plants worth $125,000 seized

Daniel Brunson won reelection to the post of East Aurora School Board president at the board’s July 8 reorganizational meeting. Vice President Kathyann Lorka was also reelected. All board members present voted in favor of Brunson and Lorka. MaryBeth Covert and Dennis Holbrook will also keep their seats – they took their oaths of office July 8 after being reelected in May.

There is a new band in town. Actually, there are several, thanks to a program at Limelight Music in East Aurora.

As a result of disparaging comments aimed at the Marilla Town Board by its former town Planning Board Chairman Nathan Barnard, Supervisor George Gertz gaveled the Town Board into two improper “executive sessions” in June to discuss the matter.

The East Aurora School Board has accepted millions from the Keller Estate to create a scholarship for local high school graduates. Click here to listen to the podcast. Or, click here to subscribe to the free East Aurora Advertiser podcast at the iTunes store. New segments are posted at least once a week.

The sidewalks themselves may be brand new, and Main Street far from finished, but the 40th annual East Aurora Street Festival and Sidewalk Sale will go forward anyway. “It is going to happen this year,” Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Gary Grote assured the Advertiser.

WESTFIELD - A possible merger between the Ripley Central School and Westfield Academy and Central School districts has reached a dead end. At a recent Board of Education meeting, Westfield board members, with a 7-2 vote, defeated a resolution which would have allowed the Westfield district to continue merger discussions with Ripley.

The Seneca Allegany Casino Veterans' Pow Wow kicks off Friday night as Princess Emily Cooper leads veterans around the area that will become the stage during Saturday and Sunday's dance competitions. The annual cultural and artistic celebration features dancing, drumming, a Native arts and crafts market and Native food at Salamanca's Veterans Memorial Park.

Amid overcast skies and a couple sprinkles of rain, the 13th annual Laurel Run kicked off Friday morning from The Resource Center's Michael J. Raymond building on Jones and Gifford Avenue. The Laurel Run is a two-day event that begins with a relay from Jamestown to Dunkirk, where the center's other offices are located.

NEW YORK (AP) - More mixed signals on the economy and earnings reports are sending stocks lower in early trading. Bank of America Corp. and Citigroup Inc. became the latest banks to report big second-quarter profits on Friday, but both showed continued weakness in loan portfolios. General Electric Co. beat earnings forecasts but its revenues came up short.

The unemployment rate for the county, state and nation all went up at least a half percent between May and June. Locally, the unemployment rate went up from 8 percent in May to 8.7 percent in June. For the state, unemployment went up .7 percent as well, from 7.9 to 8.6 percent. Nationally, the rate increased .6 percent from 9.1 to 9.7 percent.

More than 90 units are signed up for the Oil 150 parade, including a special guest, as part of the events Aug. 22 to honor the 150th anniversary of oil production.

The mystery of who will serve as McKean County’s lead prosecutor could be solved during the next few weeks. The two major political parties are supposed to nominate candidates for the open district attorney seat, although there are no lawyers in McKean County who are registered Democrats.

A contract agreement has been reached between Penelec, a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp., and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 459, the company announced Friday.

Light rain fell and dappled clouds muted Friday’s sky, but the unseasonal weather didn’t faze revelers at Summer Daze. “It would’ve been nice if it was 80 degrees and sunny,” said Anita Dolan, Main Street manager. “But, considering the weather, I think we’ve had a great turnout.”

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Despite weather, crowds gather for Kim Mitchell.

Chet Secrist is feeling better. But what he can’t believe is the massive community-wide support he is receiving.

First Niagara Financial Group saw a 10 percent increase in operating income from a year ago for the second quarter of 2009, according to results the company released Friday.

The U.S. House of Representatives Financial Services Committee will hold hearings on the government’s role in the decision making process that has led to possible cuts in benefits for Delphi Corp.’s salaried employees and retirees.

A Falls plumber with a long and checkered criminal past is back in the crosshairs of a federal law enforcement investigation.