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Birding challenge encourages New Yorkers to look to the sky The I BIRD NY challenge is underway from March 1 to Nov. 1, encouraging state residents to log all the bird species they can find.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is incentivizing New Yorkers to stop, look, and listen for birds across New York to grow an appreciation for the diversity of feathered friends we have in the state.

Nichols School in mourning following passing of its Head of School Nichols School, the Buffalo-based private school, is announcing the passing of its Head of School, Christopher D. Burner, who served in that role for the past seven years.

“He was not simply the person in the head’s office. He was a familiar face in the hallways, on the sidelines, and in the front row of concerts and assemblies. Many of us came to know him not just as a leader, but as a mentor, colleague, and friend.”

Gold medal homecoming honors Tage Thompson before Sabres' win The Sabres honored Tage Thompson for his historic gold medal achievement.

It was a special evening in downtown Buffalo on Tuesday night as the Sabres honored forward Tage Thompson for his historic gold medal run with Team USA at the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics.

Community walk planned to honor Buffalo LGBTQ+ advocates Wednesday marks the one-year anniversary of the deaths of Mickey Harmon and Jordan Celotto.

One year after the slayings of Mickey Harmon and Jordan Celotto — two prominent voices in Buffalo's Allentown and LGBTQ+ communities — those same communities are making sure Harmon's and Celotto's voices are not forgotten.

Toronto's Gardiner Expressway undergoing emergency repairs as World Cup date approaches The oft-traveled expressway has severe concrete deterioration following heavy use of road salt.

One of Toronto’s busiest expressways is undergoing emergency repairs — despite 18 months of work and just 100 days before the FIFA World Cup soccer tournament begins in the city.

Say Yes Niagara Falls gets $500,000 boost for scholarships Less than six months into the launch of Say Yes Niagara Falls, the organization’s scholarship program is taking a big leap forward, boosted by a $500,000 scholarship investment from KeyBank.

“A lot of students struggle with confidence. They struggle with a lot of things, especially coming from such a low-income area. Niagara Falls, it needs that boost. It needs that push. Our students need the ability to know that there's more out there than just Niagara Falls.”

Judge denies release of records in Buffalo mass shooter's state case A State Supreme Court judge has denied a request to release records in the state case against Buffalo mass shooter Payton Gendron, Erie County District Attorney Michael Keane’s office announced Tuesday.

Last year, the Federal Public Defender’s Office submitted a Freedom of Information Law request to the Erie County DA’s Office in an attempt to obtain discovery materials in the state case. After the DA denied to, the office filed an Article 78 Petition, hoping the court would order the release.

ConnectLife files suit against federal agencies over new ranking system The organ procurement organization is suing the federal government over a rule that it says could jeopardize its role in coordinating organ donations within its service area.

ConnectLife, Western New York’s only federally designated not-for-profit organ procurement organization (OPO), is taking the federal government to court over policy changes that it argues could cause financial and strategic uncertainty.

Conflicting feelings over Khameni assassination extend to local Iranian community

“We wish to bring democracy to Iran (and) as Iranians, they are fighting for democracy, but we don't have it here. How can I tell Iranian people who are talking to me from Iran that, ‘you can't ask America for help?’ We don't have it here.”

Blood moon visible as lunar eclipse passes over Western New York The eclipse lasted for about an hour in totality and was visible across North and South America.

It makes for a great photo opportunity and could cause your dog a bit of confusion, as a lunar eclipse passed over Western New York early Tuesday morning.

Hochul says those involved in Alam’s death need to be held accountable Governor Kathy Hochul says she will be meeting with the family of Nurul Amin Shah Alam, and demands those who left the disabled Rohingya refugee on his own be held accountable.

Governor Kathy Hochul says she and other state officials are reviewing what options are available to hold accountable those who released a disabled Rohingya refugee alone at a closed coffee shop, rather than under safer circumstances.

SUNY seeks increased investment in maintenance, research Chancellor John King told lawmakers during a recent budget hearing that there is a $10 billion critical maintenance backlog across the State University of New York system, which officials want to tackle with a multi-year plan.

The chancellor of SUNY says the system’s enrollment is growing and its financial picture is stabilizing, but more investment is needed in capital projects.

Ford lifts freeze on tuition increases, cuts back on financial assistance Ontario Premier cites funding crisis stemming from federal caps on international students.

Colleges and universities will be able to increase tuitions by up to 2 percent a year for the next three years, and OSAP grants will be cut from about 85 percent of total funding to about 25 percent beginning this fall.

Gov. Hochul, Buffalo Police vow safety; elected officials react to US-Israeli strikes on Iran Following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran Saturday and Iran’s vow to strike back, authorities closer to home were vowing to uphold safety of the general public.

Governor Kathy Hochul and Buffalo Police have issued statements assuring extra domestic protection following US-Israeli airstrikes, while elected representatives issued statements reacting to the military operation.

Survey of Dunkirk residents shows need for financial control board, State Senator says Sen. George Borrello has been appealing for a financial control board amid the city's fiscal woes and theft charges against its longtime treasurer.

Senator George Borrello, whose district covers the Chautauqua County city, has been pushing for a control board since last year, but the state senate voted instead to take a $13.7 million from New York State instead to help cover a debt of more than $20.5 million.

Premier Ford unveils new Ontario Science Centre design In a press conference, Premier Ford unveils the design for Ontario Place which includes the new Ontario Science Centre, a Live Nation amphitheater and a year-round spa.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has revealed the design for the new Ontario Science Centre building, to be constructed in a new location in Ontario Place. He announced the plans alongside Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming, Stan Cho. It's a design Ford likened to the Sydney opera house design.

Language services for refugees, immigrants remain a challenge in Buffalo, advocates say The language barrier remains a challenge for many immigrants living in Buffalo, especially for the refugee population.

Even before Nurul Amin Shah Alam was arrested last year, it was difficult for him to navigate Buffalo without being able to speak or understand English, family friend Khaleda Shah said. He had translators, but it’s wrong that he was forced to rely on a system that continued to fail him, she added.

Mayor Ryan’s administration releases police internal affairs files in Granville case All files pertaining to the traffic incident involving a key member of the Erie County Sheriff’s Office and how Buffalo Police handled it have been released, Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan announced Thursday.

In April 2024, Daniel “DJ” Granville, the Erie County Sheriff’s Chief of Narcotics and Intelligence, was operating a county-owned vehicle when investigators said he struck seven parked cars in Buffalo.

Refugee who died after Border Patrol release laid to rest as family calls for justice Family, friends and community members buried Nural Amin Shah Alam, a 56-year-old Rohingya man, with calls for justice into his death on the streets of Buffalo after release from Border Patrol custody.

The family of Nural Amin Shah Alam is calling for justice after the 56-year-old Rohingya man who entered the U.S. as a refugee was found dead several days after being released from Border Patrol custody.

In a provided statement, the Erie County Department of Health says a cause of death is "still pending" in the case of Nurul Amin Shah Alam, contradicting initial reports from police investigators that said the medical examiner's office had found Alam's death was "health related in nature."

SUNY chancellor highlights critical building maintenance, continued enrollment increases SUNY is projected to receive $595 million toward critical maintenance in Governor Kathy Hochul's current budget proposal. But SUNY Chancellor John Kin Jr. says that's only around 60% of what's needed.

Many buildings within the university system are more than 50 years old, and they’re in need of things like roof and HVAC repairs, SUNY Chancellor John King Jr. said.

State Senate Republicans propose affordable housing solutions in latest agenda push Some of the Senate Republican Conference's proposals included means-tested rent stabilization, streamlining the permitting process and repealing the all-electric mandate.

Some of the proposals the conference laid out to combat rising property taxes and high construction costs include means-tested rent stabilization, streamlining the permitting process and repealing the all-electric mandate.

Seneca Nation gets sovereign status for Grand Island parcel from federal government The Seneca Nation called the restricted fee status approval from the Department of Interior "a significant step forward" in their 200-acre land acquisition on Grand Island.

“We’re excited to take this next step in making this piece of our ancestral homelands a vital part of the Seneca Nation’s future,” said Seneca Nation President J. Conrad Seneca.

'Community of local filmmakers': Screening Room Cafe looks for next act with Boulevard Mall closure The Screening Room Cafe, which has brought locals interested in film and the arts together for years, is closing its doors at the Boulevard Mall at the end of the month.

Some of the final businesses at the Boulevard Mall are closing their doors at the end of the month, which includes a centerpiece for the Buffalo film community. The Screening Room Café has brought filmmakers, movie buffs and other creatives together for years.

Revised travel guidelines urge First Nations to carry passports when traveling to US Previous guidance advised that First Nations people could "freely" enter the United States.

The Canadian government recently updated a travel advisory for First Nations people crossing the border into the United States that followed a similar warning a couple of weeks ago from Canada’s largest Indigenous organization, the Assembly of First Nations.

More than 5 miles between reported drop-off point and where Shah Alam was found Nurul Amin Shah Alam was found five days after being dropped off by Border Patrol agents at a coffee shop.

As reactions and questions continue to surface over the death of Nurul Amin Shah Alam, a visually impaired man who spent time in Border Patrol custody and was found dead Tuesday night, directions from the reported drop-off spot and where he was found place the two locations more than 5 miles apart.

Disabilities Beat: A Buffalo family shows parents can move rare disease research forward For two scientist parents in Buffalo, their daughter’s rare FOXG1 syndrome diagnosis led them to groundbreaking research, helping launch a gene therapy now headed to a clinical trial.

A Buffalo family is showing what is possible when parents use their skills to improve outcomes for their children with disabilities.

Read more from this week's Disabilities Beat interview below:

New York State to implement new work requirements for SNAP recipients Starting March 1, certain adults without dependents will be mandated to work at least 20 hours per week to avoid losing food stamp benefits.

Some New York state residents who receive federally funded food assistance could be at risk of losing some or all of their benefits due to new work requirements.

Read more at the link below:

Man missing after Border Patrol release found dead in Buffalo Buffalo homicide detectives are investigating the circumstances behind the death of Nurul Amin Shah Alam, a near fully blind refugee from Southeast Asia, whose body was found after he went missing following his release from Border Patrol cu...

Buffalo Police have confirmed that Nurul Amin Shah Alam, 56, was found deceased when B district officers responded to a call in the first block of Perry Street shortly after 8:30 pm on Tuesday, February 25.