NEWS & INFO

Mayor Sean M. Ryan today testified before the New York State Legislature at the Joint Legislative Public Hearing on the 2026 Executive Budget Proposal, where he laid out the City of Buffalo’s fiscal condition and called for a partnership with the State to restore long-term financial stability.      In his testimony, Mayor Ryan described a city operating under the weight of years of unrealistic budgeting practices and one-time revenue solutions that have depleted City reserves

New York State Senate Republican Minority Leader Rob Ortt is urging state officials to investigate Candlelight Cabinetry in Lockport following weeks of uncertainty surrounding the company’s operations and the status of its workforce.      Ortt, who represents the 62nd Senate District and serves as the top-ranking Republican in the State Senate, announced that he and Assemblyman Paul Bologna have formally requested that both the New York State Department of Labor and the Offic

Mayor Austin Tylec used his annual State of the City address at the Riviera Theatre to highlight a wave of residential development, infrastructure upgrades and redevelopment efforts underway across North Tonawanda, while also defending the city’s financial management amid ongoing labor tensions and rising project costs.      Framing the city as one on the upswing, Tylec pointed to visible construction activity and what he described as steady fiscal footing.      “North Tonawa

A long-fought battle in downtown Niagara Falls has entered a quieter phase, but the stakes for local taxpayers may be higher than ever.      For more than two years, the City of Niagara Falls and a private development firm known as Niagara Falls Redevelopment (NFR) have been locked in a legal and political conflict over the future of a multi-million stretch of land near John B. Daly Boulevard, directly across from Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino. At the heart of the dispute ar

A Niagara Falls student is being recognized for his calm and decisive response after stepping in to save a fellow student who was choking during lunch.      Dan O’Grady, a junior enrolled in Jeff Brown’s Computer Technology program at the Niagara Career and Technical Education Center, was eating lunch at Niagara Falls High School alongside his friend, Welding student Aiden Hewitt, when the situation turned dangerous.      “We were sitting at a table with our friends just laug

Niagara Falls Mayor Robert Restaino traveled to Albany on Wednesday, February 12th to formally request $200 million in state funding for his proposed Centennial Park events center, using his appearance at a joint legislative budget hearing to press lawmakers for what he described as transformational investment in the city’s future.      Speaking before state legislators during the annual budget session – often referred to as “Tin Cup Day” (i.e.: begging for money) because of

Buffalo, NY — Niagara Action, Western New York’s fastest-growing multi-media news platform, has officially been acquired by two corporate entities, one of which is based in Buffalo, NY. Following a formal shareholder vote, Kristy Mazurek has been elected Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of the Niagara Action newspaper.   The announcement comes on the same day that the publication rolled out a print edition for the first time in its 10-year history, distributing 100,000 copies ac

LISTEN TO POLICE AUDIO BELOW Law enforcement received a call around 9:07pm on February 15th after reports of a subject with a gun on the 1700 block of Ferry Avenue in Niagara Falls. The 911 caller - a third party - relayed to dispatch that his roommate said two people were in the backyard with handguns. The caller was communicating with his roommate via Facebook. The caller then stated the suspects left the backyard and were walking down the driveway. He was able to take pict

LISTEN TO POLICE AUDIO BELOW Law enforcement received a call around 7:06pm on February 15th after reports of an assault at the Seneca Niagara Casino in Niagara Falls. The 911 caller stated that she was at the pool area with her son. While there, an unknown male grabbed her son while he was in the water, submerged him under the water and would not let him up for air. At the time of the call, the unknown male was still in the pool area. Police responded to the scene. It is unkn

For decades, the city of Niagara Falls has struggled with levels of violent and property crime that far outpace state and national norms, a grim reality backed by the city’s own reported statistics. According to the latest available Federal Bureau of Investigation Uniform Crime Reports (UCR), Niagara Falls recorded 237 violent crimes in 2024, translating to a violent crime rate of 501.1 incidents per 100,000 residents, roughly 40% higher than the national rate and significant

LISTEN TO POLICE AUDIO BELOW Law enforcement received a call around 7:40pm on February 15th after reports of a violent domestic altercation on the 1000 block of 92nd Street in Niagara Falls. Unknown who the 911 caller was. The domestic incident was in progress during the call and police could hear it unfolding. A male was holding the female back from leaving. The female could be heard screaming, including, "you're a child beater." Additional information then came in that the

LISTEN TO POLICE AUDIO BELOW Law enforcement received a call around 4:40pm on February 16th after reports of menacing with a weapon at Delta Sonic on Niagara Falls Boulevard in Niagara Falls. The 911 caller and complainant said that a white male with face tattoos was blocking the entrance to the car wash. When the caller beeped the horn at him, the suspect pulled a knife on him. The suspect then would not leave the side of the complainant's vehicle. The complainant was afraid

LISTEN TO POLICE AUDIO BELOW Law enforcement received a call around 11:19pm on February 12th after reports of an assault with a weapon on the 1900 block of Pine Avenue. The 911 caller - a third party - said that he was asked by the victim to call police, stating that he was just hit in the head with an axe and that he was bleeding heavily. Niagara Falls Police and Fire (for medical) responded to the scene. The severity of the male's injuries are unknown. No further informatio

By: Sumit Majumdar, CEO of Buffalo Biodiesel & Limited Partner of Verite Capital Partners As New York State pursues aggressive decarbonization, the answer may not lie in abandoning gas infrastructure, but in changing what flows through it. PEOPLE OFTEN ASK ME: "Why are you so passionate about the environment? Why are you building an RNG plant and what the heck is RNG? How is it different, and why is it so important?" To answer that, I have to go back to the beginning. As a li

By: Sumit Majumdar, CEO of Buffalo Biodiesel & Limited Partner of Verite Capital Partners Special Report: The 2026 Venture Outlook INTRODUCTION: A PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE Many people have asked me recently: How did you get into venture capital, and why did venture capital invest in your company? To provide clarity, I want to explain what venture capital looks like today for a deal like mine. There is no question that this article does not cover the entire universe of investment

LISTEN TO POLICE AUDIO BELOW Law enforcement received a call around 3:10am on February 8th after reports of an assault on the 400 block of 6th Street in Niagara Falls. The 911 caller - a third party - said that her 20-year-old daughter called and said that she had just been jumped by six females at this air BnB and was currently locked in a bathroom. At the time of the call, the victim was still locked in the bathroom with the six females waiting on the other side of the door

Niagara Falls Police responded to the 2000 block of 18th Street around 9:30pm on February 10th to assist Niagara County Probation with a home check. Upon arrival, officers observed a black SUV in the driveway known to be operated by a female and a black male known to police who was wearing a face covering carrying a small child into a residence. Probation officers made contact with the female and male at the door and she indicated another person was inside, initially claiming

LISTEN TO POLICE AUDIO BELOW Law enforcement received a call around 1:30am on February 9th after reports of a home invasion and violent assault on the 500 block of Oliver Street in North Tonawanda. Dispatch advised that a male broke into the apartment and was physical with a female occupant. The female declined EMS at the time of the call. It is unknown if she opted to seek medical treatment herself. The 911 caller was a third party who heard the physical altercation. Screami

LISTEN TO POLICE AUDIO BELOW Law enforcement received a call around 2:30am on February 7th after reports of a burglary at McDonald's on the 1700 block of Pine Avenue in Niagara Falls where the suspect sustained serious hand injuries. The 911 caller said that a white male had a serious laceration(s) to the hand and a knife in his pocket. Witnesses or other third parties told police that the white male attempted, or succeeded, in forcing his way into the building, which resulte

LISTEN TO POLICE AUDIO BELOW Law enforcement received a call around 1:45am on February 7th after reports of a violent stabbing on the 2300 block of Orleans Avenue in Niagara Falls. Dispatch advised that the suspect(s) ran out of the door prior to police arrival. Police immediately requested that AMR be dispatched to the location after finding a victim at the location with visible stab wounds. Police then located a second individual at the location with visible stab wounds and

In what it portrays as an effort to remedy reputational harm rather than seek a payday, Buffalo Biodiesel, Inc. (“BBD”), a Buffalo-based company that collects used cooking oil from more than 28,000 restaurants across the Northeastern United States, has filed suit in Erie County Supreme Court against The Buffalo News (“BN”) and Manhattan-based attorney Michael Collesano. BBD claims it’s seeking to restore its reputation and confront a coordinated smear campaign against its bus

The Niagara Falls City School District is asking the community to come together and support a 4th grade student at Cataract Elementary School who is facing a life-threatening medical challenge and needs a kidney transplant. The student – Amir Jones – has shown remarkable strength while dealing with kidney failure and has reached the point where a transplant is necessary. Doctors are seeking a living kidney donor with an O-positive blood type, which would dramatically improve

Two parents from Buffalo, New York are facing disturbing felony charges after prosecutors say they repeatedly abused a 7-year-old child, including forcing the child underwater in a cold bath as punishment. Erie County District Attorney Michael Keane announced Tuesday that Jacklyn J. Balabis, 26, and Parris D. Woods, 24, were arraigned on a 15-count indictment. Balabis is the child’s mother and Woods is the child’s stepfather. Both defendants appeared before Justice Kelly Vacc

LISTEN TO POLICE AUDIO BELOW Law enforcement received a call around 3:25am on February 1st after reports of a domestic disturbance on the 100 block of Tremont Street in North Tonawanda. The female 911 caller and victim said that the male locked her in the apartment and would not let her leave. She told police that he was unstable and on bath salts. The male took the caller's purse and was blocking her exit. After running his name, there were multiple hits for active orders of