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April 3, 2026

Currently, New York allows 12- and 13-year-olds to hunt deer when accompanied by a mentor, but each individual county has to opt in, and Erie County currently does not. They are the only county in upstate that has not opted in.

Western NY Observer
April 3, 2026

Empire State Development is investing nearly $3 million into the historic Renold, Inc. plant in Westfield in Chautauqua County.The facility is set to expand, adding an advanced manufacturing cell and nine new skilled positions.

Western NY Observer
April 2, 2026

New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli says that Western New York Off-Track Betting needs to “rein in costs and strengthen its financial operations,” following an audit that was released by the comptroller on Wednesday.

Western NY Observer
April 1, 2026

The Environmental Protection Agency will review soil in Buffalo after high levels of lead were found in soil at several properties on the city’s East Side.

Western NY Observer
April 1, 2026

Border Patrol Agents from the Niagara Falls Station, in coordination with ICE/ERO, apprehended 11 illegal aliens during a targeted operation near Olcott, NY. Day in and day out, our agents are committed to protecting our nation’s borders and securing the homeland. Honor First!

Western NY Observer
March 30, 2026

An Albion man Norman Kelly, 69, was sentenced to 12 years in prison for receipt of child pornography, the United States Attorney’s Office said Monday.

Western NY Observer
March 30, 2026

Buffalo has many giant historic buildings that are badly in need of as much as $300 million of rehab. So state Sen. April N.M. Baskin wants to triple the state’s historic tax credit to $15 million for these “white elephants.”

Western NY Observer
March 29, 2026

A $50 million proposal to construct a sprawling indoor sports facility has ballooned to an $80 million venture that now includes a $25 million hotel near the site.

Western NY Observer
March 29, 2026

$10M hotel, water park renovation approved in Batavia

Western NY Observer
March 28, 2026

The City of Buffalo has reduced the number of paid work placements in the mayor’s summer youth program by about half over the last two years.

Western NY Observer
March 28, 2026

The top leadership of the Ralph Wilson Park Conservancy resigned in the last few weeks, leaving the nonprofit with no staff and only an acting chairman just months before the $250M public park is slated to begin reopening on Buffalo’s Lower West Side.

Western NY Observer
March 28, 2026

A young entrepreneur from Italy faces federal fraud charges in Buffalo, accused by the FBI of providing the payment infrastructure for cybercriminals to sell millions of stolen passwords and compromised email addresses.

Western NY Observer
March 27, 2026

Our office removed a criminal illegal alien and int’l Guyanese fugitive wanted for murder in home country. Our officers arrested this criminal after he strangled his x-gf & threatened to kill her and her friends. We are working every day to get these criminals out of our country!

Western NY Observer
March 26, 2026

Kristina Eaves became the second defendant to plead guilty over what prosecutors have described as a massive extortion scheme targeting men who responded to online ads offering sex with women for money.

Western NY Observer
March 24, 2026

Mayor Sean Ryan hopes to avoid selling the city’s parking ramps to a newly formed authority but will need Albany to pass a bill allowing the Buffalo Fiscal Stability Authority to borrow for operating costs.

Western NY Observer
March 24, 2026

Belmont Housing Resources for WNY and CB-Emmanuel Realty plan to spend $175 million to transform the vacant 17-acre site along Fillmore Avenue, just below the Kensington Expressway, into the Glenview Heights apartment complex.

Western NY Observer
March 24, 2026

Baskin, citing 5/14 massacre, seeks S1OM to expand food services to underserved communities

Western NY Observer
March 24, 2026

57-year-old Claude T. Tortora formerly from Amherst was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison for predatory sexual assault against a child between 2013 and 2018

Western NY Observer
March 23, 2026

Mayor Sean Ryan’s team is pushing the state Legislature and Gov. Kathy Hochul to pass a bill that would allow the city to borrow up to $500 million through the Buffalo Fiscal Stability Authority, over the next five years.

Western NY Observer
March 23, 2026

Grape farmers in Western New York are facing an uncertain future after Refresco, one of the region’s biggest grape processors, canceled all of its contracts with local farms.

Western NY Observer
March 21, 2026

Amherst banned ‘gambling’ at its senior center. Some pinochle players are not happy

Western NY Observer
March 20, 2026

Federal report warns about eating fish from Eighteenmile Creek

Western NY Observer
March 20, 2026

Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan pauses demolitions as he reorganizes problem housing plan

Western NY Observer
March 20, 2026

Man accused of transporting a family from Canada to Grand Island on a raft

Western NY Observer
March 20, 2026

On Feb 25, Niagara Falls Station, ICE/ERO, and Buffalo Sector SOD stopped a vehicle in Medina, NY. Four fled; all were caught with help from local partners and drone support. One MS-13 gang member and 3 Hondurans taken into custody. Great teamwork keeping our communities safe!

Western NY Observer
March 20, 2026

After years of planning, New York plans to kick off a $40 million to $45 million transformation of Buffalo’s Broadway Market this summer, turning it into a “vibrant year-round food and shopping hub.”

Western NY Observer
March 20, 2026

New York state has announced a first-in-the-nation pilot program aimed at reducing gun violence is coming to Buffalo and Rochester.The program works to equip health care providers who work in hospitals with training to assess firearm injury risk.

Western NY Observer
March 20, 2026

Neighborhood Health Center to receive $200,000 in state funding

Western NY Observer
March 18, 2026

The Buffalo Common Council is being asked to consider more than $1.7 million in settlements for suits filed against the city negotiated by the Corporation Counsel’s office, with most of them stemming from incidents involving the Buffalo Police Department.

Western NY Observer
March 18, 2026

Erie County has been awarded $800,000 in Greenway funding to support improvements at Isle View Park and the Two Mile Creek / Sherwood Trail system.

Western NY Observer
March 18, 2026

DEC reveals plans to restock Ischua Creek after major fish die-off

Western NY Observer
March 18, 2026

Construction begins on Buffalo’s Jefferson Avenue streetscape project. The $20 million upgrade is part of a broader $32.5 million project and is designed to improve roadway conditions, pedestrian safety, and accessibility.

Western NY Observer
March 18, 2026

Families speak out on alleged abuse at Lackawanna learning center

Western NY Observer
March 17, 2026

A new court ruling has allowed a philosophy professor’s lawsuit against SUNY Fredonia to proceed, four years after administrators removed him from the classroom and barred him from campus after his controversial podcast remarks about adult-child sex.

Western NY Observer
March 17, 2026

‘Energy prices are too damn high’: Governor Hochul speaks out against soaring gas prices

Western NY Observer
March 17, 2026

Shea’s gets additional $5M state funding boost for the $34.6 million expansion project, bringing the state’s total investment to more than $18 million

Western NY Observer
March 17, 2026

Buffalo homeowners push back on plan to raise property taxes to help plug a projected $25 to $30 million budget deficit

Western NY Observer
March 17, 2026

Lancaster reassessment project raises residents’ concerns

Western NY Observer
March 17, 2026

New: A sixth Buffalo cop has been cited for a pattern of misconduct by the state Attorney General.Calvis McKnight, the AG found, was found to have engaged in a pattern of unlawful anal searches of suspects.

Western NY Observer
March 15, 2026

In a stipulation approved last month by State Supreme Court Justice Deborah A. Chimes, the town agreed to cut the assessed value of the four properties that constitute the Roycroft by 85%, from $1.48 million to $210,000.

Western NY Observer
March 14, 2026

Crews respond to fuel leak on USS Croaker, water aboard the USS The Sullivans

Western NY Observer
March 13, 2026

A Chad Campbell convicted of murdering a 15-year-old and a 1-year-old in the Rochester area in 1990 is being released on parole in Erie County.The Erie County Sheriff’s Office called the decision “appalling.”

Western NY Observer
March 13, 2026

Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan says if the city meets its goal of hiring 100 lifeguards for the summer, he will jump in the Cazenovia Park pool dressed in a suit.

Western NY Observer
March 13, 2026

Just about every local television move recently leads to questions over whether it has anything to do with the pending $6.2 billion merger between the broadcast companies that own WIVB-TV (Channel 4) and WGRZ-TV (Channel 2).

Western NY Observer
March 13, 2026

Lockport babysitter 24-year-old Luke Smeal accused of rapeDeputies say the victim was younger than 5-years-old

Western NY Observer
March 12, 2026

The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced a Tonawanda man faces up to 930 years in prison for over 30 child pornography-related charges.

Western NY Observer
March 12, 2026

In a note to shareholders last week, Plug Power made it official: It’s massive hydrogen production facility planned for Western NY was dead.The company had a rocky five years in the region as it ran into financial, permitting and political headwinds.

Western NY Observer
March 12, 2026

County Executive Mark Poloncarz promises to veto a youth hunting bill for the second time.”I know what 12- and 13-year-old boys are like, and even with mentors, they do bad, goofy things. I don’t think it’s appropriate.”

Western NY Observer
March 12, 2026

A Blasdell contactor is expanding its operations to a new site down the street while creating nearly 30,000 square feet of office and workshop space for other contractors, in a $3 million project.

Western NY Observer
March 12, 2026

A $29 million Buffalo Sewer Authority project on the West Side should prevent about 8 million gallons of untreated sewage from entering the Black Rock Canal annually. Work is set to begin this spring.

Western NY Observer
March 12, 2026

Erie County is marking two years of progress under the Community Climate Action Plan. 🌎 Since its launch, the plan has helped strengthen local climate planning efforts and assisted in obtaining grants and other funding.

Western NY Observer
March 12, 2026

The Seneca-Babcock Community Association is shutting down most of its services beginning Friday after its executive director admitted that the organization failed to submit any financial documents for the past nine years to the IRS.

Western NY Observer
March 12, 2026

Buffalo mayor Sean Ryan asked in a letter sent to the NYS Department of Transportation that the city take the lead in the Scajaquada Corridor project.

Western NY Observer
March 12, 2026

Tax hikes on the rich. Increased state aid for Buffalo. Rebates of up to $500 for cost-battered utility rate payers. Democrats who control the State Legislature approved all of those proposals in tentative state spending plans on Thursday.

Western NY Observer
March 12, 2026

Developers of the Bewley Building in Lockport say plans could be in jeopardy if a vote currently under consideration to prohibit new approvals for multi-family developments passes.

Western NY Observer
March 12, 2026

Five Buffalo Bills stadium construction workers were detained by federal immigration authorities last weekend, according to Timothy Benes, the business manager of SMART Local 71 in Buffalo.

Western NY Observer
March 12, 2026

Child care services at 11 State University of New York community colleges are being expanded to include evenings and weekends and create additional spots for infants and toddlers, Gov. Hochul’s office announced Thursday.

Western NY Observer
March 11, 2026

Dozens rally at Buffalo State University, calling for $16 million in state funding

Western NY Observer
March 11, 2026

Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda school district proposes closing Holmes Elementary, reopening two former schools

Western NY Observer
March 11, 2026

Buffalo and Lackawanna schools have participated since the state Education Department and USDA launched the waiver in 2024, but others like Cheektowaga Central have now joined.

Western NY Observer
March 11, 2026

North Tonawanda City Attorney Edward Zebulske was arrested in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, according to a police report obtained by 7 News.

Western NY Observer
March 11, 2026

Mt. Aaron Missionary Baptist Church and its nonprofit affiliate are following up their Mt. Aaron Village affordable housing project on the East Side with a much smaller venture that will see construction of 15 affordable single-family homes.

Western NY Observer
March 11, 2026

University at Buffalo announces naming rights deal with BroadviewThe $32 million covers naming rights to both the football and venues at the school’s North campus

Western NY Observer
March 11, 2026

Buffalo Public Schools scrapped plans to close two elementary schools next year after community outcry, but 7 News has learned the idea has simply been kicked down the road.

Western NY Observer
March 11, 2026

A Cheektowaga man is facing sexual exploitation charges after he was connected to a case of a missing 16-year-old girl out of Ohio.

Western NY Observer
March 11, 2026

A federal judge on Tuesday ruled the trial of mass shooter Payton Gendron will happen in Buffalo.

Western NY Observer
March 10, 2026

A Jamestown man could be sentenced to life in prison and face a $5 million fine after pleading guilty to a 2023 kidnapping, the United States Attorney’s Office said Monday.

Western NY Observer
March 10, 2026

Property tax hikes are coming to Buffalo under the Ryan administration, Buffalo Deputy Mayor Benjamin Swanekamp confirmed to 7 News.

Western NY Observer
March 10, 2026

Gov. Kathy Hochul said that the state is trying to be as helpful as possible to the City of Buffalo, but she stopped short of backing Mayor Sean Ryan’s plans for a city property tax hike and to borrow money through the Buffalo Fiscal Stability Authority.

Western NY Observer
March 10, 2026

Fashion Outlets owner Macerich is facing a $76.8M balloon payment on the mall due in October. But with the mall assessed at about $82M less than it was in 2010 when the loan was issued, it’s a big challenge for its owner to line up the financing it needs.

Western NY Observer
March 10, 2026

UB’s South Campus is in the midst of a makeover, as it becomes a hub for professional and graduate education.

Western NY Observer
March 10, 2026

The new blowers should prove more resilient in case of a future severe windstorm or snowstorm and federal aid would cover part of their cost, Town Engineer Matthew Sutton said.

Western NY Observer
March 10, 2026

Rosalyn Cheatom, owner of Our Family Daycare, won final city approval for her planned $5.8 million day care and apartment project on East Ferry Street in the Genesee-Moselle neighborhood.

Western NY Observer
March 9, 2026

A federal judge has ruled that jurors had enough evidence to convict strip club owner Peter Gerace Jr. of bribery and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking and other that could send him to prison for the rest of his life.

Western NY Observer
March 9, 2026

With many parts of the work to demolish the current stadium next spring now under contract, the Bills are projecting minority-owned, women-owned and service-disabled veteran-owned businesses will exceed the goals for their hiring at the stadium.

Western NY Observer
March 8, 2026

A sewer main break in Niagara County has sent more than 1.1 million gallons of untreated sewage into Eighteen Mile Creek in Niagara County.

Western NY Observer
March 7, 2026

WEST SENECA, N.Y. (WKBW) — Local governments say they’re paying more to keep lights on, and those costs can ultimately fall back on taxpayers through municipal budgets.

Western NY Observer
March 7, 2026

New York State Sen. George Borrello hosted a roundtable discussion Friday regarding many hotel rooms in Chautauqua County being occupied by homeless individuals or homeless families.

Western NY Observer
March 7, 2026

Leaders at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Graycliff unveiled a brand new $6 million visitor center Friday.

Western NY Observer
March 7, 2026

A prosecutor called Jeffrey C. Fleischer, the accused ringleader of a $1.3 million stolen-check scheme, a master at creating false identifications and warned he would flee if not detained as his federal case proceeds.

Western NY Observer
March 7, 2026

A team of former Lakeshore Hospital employees, and an outside investor, are converting the hospital into a $42 million inpatient center for people experiencing mental health challenges or substance use disorders.

Western NY Observer
March 7, 2026

With his plea in federal court, Brian Aveny Smith became the 14th person convicted of pandemic fraud in Buffalo, accounting for nearly $7 million worth of fraud.

Western NY Observer
March 7, 2026

17 Child Victims Act cases that a federal bankruptcy judge allowed in 2024 to move forward in state court against the Buffalo Diocese are now on hold again, as a $325 million diocese plan to settle nearly 900 sex abuse claims continues to come together.

Western NY Observer
March 6, 2026

An audit of Erie County’s public defender program conducted by the comptroller’s office found major cost increases since 2022 and excessive caseloads among county attorneys which led to high attorney work hours

Western NY Observer
March 6, 2026

Buffalo Comptroller Barbara Miller-Williams plans to hire a former city employee Karla Thomas who was fired in 2010 after her department paid more than $2 million in benefits to deceased city employees.

Western NY Observer
March 6, 2026

The Seneca Nation is set to take over a huge piece of land on Grand Island

Western NY Observer
March 6, 2026

Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper receives $2M grant to restore Gill Creek shoreline in Niagara Falls

Western NY Observer
March 6, 2026

The Little Valley Volunteer Fire Department says its latest electric bill costs $3,533.43, more than double what the department paid the previous month.

Western NY Observer
March 6, 2026

Diocese priest, Fr. Joseph Gatto, voluntarily placed on leave

Western NY Observer
March 6, 2026

The City of Jamestown has been awarded a $250,000 grant through the State’s Homes and Community Renewal program in an effort to support two major initiatives – the Accelerating Housing development and addressing buildings that are deteriorating. (Spectrum News 1)

Western NY Observer
March 5, 2026

Lawmakers seek $15M for refugee services

Western NY Observer
March 4, 2026

Following a critical audit — and an IPost investigation — Save the Michaels announced this week it had lost public funding.

Western NY Observer
March 4, 2026

ECSO chief who pleaded guilty after series of hit-and-run crashes set to retire at the end of March

Western NY Observer
March 4, 2026

Immigration business owner says he’s left the country as Buffalo Community protests ‘law’ office

Western NY Observer
April 19, 2025

Fredonia residents could see 65% tax hike

Western NY Observer
April 18, 2025

The Buffalo Urban Development Corporation and City of Buffalo are planning a $400 million project to revamp the intersection of Commercial Street and Marine Drive, next to Canalside, the Explore & More Children’s Museum and the redone BMHA’s Marine Drive apartments.

Western NY Observer
April 18, 2025

Multiple lawsuits filed against People Inc., alleging negligence and abuse

Western NY Observer
April 15, 2025

A recent audit shows that much of the medical equipment, including oxygen tanks, ventilators and CPAP machines, purchased by the Cuomo administration in the early days of the pandemic have been sitting around in warehouses in various parts of the state.

Western NY Observer
April 15, 2025

Elma man Matthew Steele, 53, admits to production of child pornography involving prepubescent minor

Western NY Observer

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