Tuesday, May 6
Hochul Secures Federal Funding to Tackle Massive Sterling State Park Wildfire as State Faces High Fire Danger
20Nov By Grace ThompsonNo Comments
Community

Hochul Secures Federal Funding to Tackle Massive Sterling State Park Wildfire as State Faces High Fire Danger

(WNY News Now) While a statewide burn restriction is still in place due to increased fire risk, Governor Kathy Hochul announces a Fire Management Assistance Grant from FEMA to help fight the biggest wildfire in New York since 2008.Today, Governor Kathy Hochul obtained a Fire Management Assistance Grant Declaration from FEMA, which makes it possible to receive federal cash to help pay for some of the expenses related to the ongoing firefighting activities in Jennings Creek/Sterling State Park. When an uncontrolled fire poses a serious threat of destruction, this declaration starts an accelerated review procedure that may result in FEMA granting assistance. The grant's funding would help the state and local governments cover some of the expenses associated with battling this fire, such as la...
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Brooklyn monsignor who let Sabrina Carpenter film in church is removed, accused of mishandling $2M of funds
20Nov By Grace ThompsonNo Comments
News

Brooklyn monsignor who let Sabrina Carpenter film in church is removed, accused of mishandling $2M of funds

According to church officials, a New York City monsignor who caused controversy by permitting pop sensation Sabrina Carpenter to record a video in his church was stripped of his duties after he reportedly embezzled about $2 million in church funds. Bishop Robert J. Brennan of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn announced in a statement on Monday that Monsignor Jamie Gigantiello of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Annunciation Parish no longer has any pastoral leadership or governance responsibilities at the parish. According to NBC New York, the decision came following an examination of the parish's subpoena in the context of New York City Mayor Eric Adams' corruption scandal. According to the Diocese, the inquiry "uncovered a pattern of serious violations of Diocesan policies and protocols by ...
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Prosecutors say sentencing in Trump hush money case can be postponed
20Nov By Grace ThompsonNo Comments
News

Prosecutors say sentencing in Trump hush money case can be postponed

On Tuesday, New York prosecutors informed the court presiding over Donald Trump's hush money prosecution that the president-elect's attorneys should delay his sentence until they submit additional legal reasons requesting that the case be dismissed. Judge Juan Merchanto would need to approve the motion from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office on Tuesday for it to become official. Prosecutors had previously asked Merchan to grant extensions. The DA's office requested last week that the judge temporarily halt the proceedings while it assessed the effect of Trump's election victory on the case, casting doubt on Merchan's tentative plan to sentence Trump later this month on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. According to prosecutor Matthew Colangelo, the motion was m...
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Her body was found in a burning car on an Arizona highway. Now, 19 months later, an arrest.
20Nov By Grace ThompsonNo Comments
News

Her body was found in a burning car on an Arizona highway. Now, 19 months later, an arrest.

Authorities announced an arrest Monday in thebrutal murder of an exotic dancerwhose body was discovered in a burning car on an Arizona interstate more than a year ago. Sencere Hayes, 22, was taken into custody Nov. 11 in Tennessee in connection with the killing of Mercedes Vega, 22, April 17, 2023, the Maricopa County Sheriff s Office said in a statement. The sheriff s office and local prosecutors are working to extradite Hayes to Arizona, the statement said, adding that the case remains active and under investigation and that no other information would be released. It isn't clear what Hayes has been charged with, where he is being held or whether he has a lawyer to speak on his behalf. Vega s mother, Erika Pillsbury, said that for 19 months she felt her daughter would never see justice. N...
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20Nov By Grace ThompsonNo Comments
Chautauqua County

$1.3 Million Federal Grant Aims to Tackle Substance Use Crisis in Chautauqua County

(WNY News Now) Congressman Nick Langworthy secures funding for the Chautauqua CARES program, a transformative initiative to fight addiction and improve public health in the region.WASHINGTON, D.C.Congressman Nick Langworthy (NY-23) announced that Chautauqua County will receive $1,300,000 in federal funding to support the Chautauqua Comprehensive Addiction Response and Evaluation (CARES) program. Funded by the Office of Justice Programs, this grant will advance efforts to address the substance use crisis affecting families and communities across the region.The CARES program is a critical public health initiative for Chautauqua County, bringing together law enforcement, behavioral health, and community organizations to provide critical support for individuals battling addiction,said Congre...
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Jay-Z’s Team Roc sues Kansas City, Kansas, for records related to alleged police misconduct
20Nov By Grace ThompsonNo Comments
News

Jay-Z’s Team Roc sues Kansas City, Kansas, for records related to alleged police misconduct

Jay Z'sTeam Roc, the social justice armof his Roc Nation entertainment company, filed a lawsuit Tuesday claiming Kansas City, Kansas, has violated public records laws by failing to "timely produce" law enforcement records related to decadeslong allegations of police abuse and misconduct. The suit, filed in Wyandotte County District Court in partnership with the Midwest Innocence Project, says the Kansas City Police Department has not released substantial documents related to complaints pertaining to current and former detectives and officers after Roc Nation submitted a records request in November 2023. "For decades, communities in Kansas City, Kansas particularly minority and immigrant communities have been subjected to an alarming pattern of abuse and other serious misconduct by the ...
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Suspect in New York City stabbing spree that left 3 dead recently released from jail, had long criminal history 
20Nov By Grace ThompsonNo Comments
News

Suspect in New York City stabbing spree that left 3 dead recently released from jail, had long criminal history 

The man accused ofkilling three people in a grisly stabbing spreeon Monday had been released from New York City jail a month earlier and was free on bail for other alleged crimes in New Jersey, records showed. Just hours after 51-year-old Ramon Rivera was taken into custody following the trio of slayings, New York City Mayor Eric Adams was already questioning why the homeless man was walking free. He was sentenced a few months ago, and there s a real question that we need to look at on why he was out on the streets, and he has some severe mental health issues that should have been examined, Adams told reporters on Monday. Rivera has now been charged with three counts of first-degree murder, police said. He was released from a New York City jail on Oct. 17 for time served on burglary and a...
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Lakewood Man Cited for DWI After Traffic Stop in Sinclairville
20Nov By Grace ThompsonNo Comments
Arrests

Lakewood Man Cited for DWI After Traffic Stop in Sinclairville

(WNY News Now) A routine traffic stop in the Village of Sinclairville led to the arrest of a Lakewood man on multiple charges, including driving while intoxicated, on Monday evening.Sinclairville, NYDeputies from the Chautauqua County Sheriff s Office observed traffic infractions on Sinclair Drive around 6:10 p.m. on November 18, 2024, prompting them to stop the vehicle. The driver, identified as 28-year-old Kevin L. Bellardo, was found to be operating the vehicle while intoxicated.Further investigation revealed additional violations, including DWI per se, reckless driving, speeding in a designated zone, and operating a vehicle with unsafe tires. Bellardo was taken into custody and transported to the Chautauqua County Sheriff s Office for processing.After being issued citations, Bellardo...
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The all-time great NFL kicker who suddenly can’t make field goals
20Nov By Grace ThompsonNo Comments
News

The all-time great NFL kicker who suddenly can’t make field goals

In what would eventually prove to be a tight, 1990s-esque, cold weather, low-scoring thriller between the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 11, momentum appeared to be shifting toward the Ravens late in the first quarter. Baltimore was lucky to be trailing only 3-0 after a fumble and missed field goal on two of its first three drives. But the defense had just stuffed the Steelers on a 4th-and-1 run, setting up the offense with great field position. The Ravens were only able to pick up 14 yards after the turnover on downs. Fortunately, they had set up their kicker the second-most accurate in NFL history for a 50-yard field goal to tie the game. Except he missed for the second straight time, keeping Pittsburgh in front. The Ravens ultimately fell to 7-4 after a hard-fought...
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Her body was found in a burning car on an Arizona highway. Now, 19 months later, an arrest.
20Nov By Grace ThompsonNo Comments
News

Her body was found in a burning car on an Arizona highway. Now, 19 months later, an arrest.

Authorities announced an arrest Monday in thebrutal murder of an exotic dancerwhose body was discovered in a burning car on an Arizona interstate more than a year ago. Sencere Hayes, 22, was taken into custody Nov. 11 in Tennessee in connection with the killing of Mercedes Vega, 22, April 17, 2023, the Maricopa County Sheriff s Office said in a statement. The sheriff s office and local prosecutors are working to extradite Hayes to Arizona, the statement said, adding that the case remains active and under investigation and that no other information would be released. It isn't clear what Hayes has been charged with, where he is being held or whether he has a lawyer to speak on his behalf. Vega s mother, Erika Pillsbury, said that for 19 months she felt her daughter would never see justice. N...
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