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City of Tonawanda votes yes for Canal Fest

TONAWANDA, N.Y. (WIVB) — Canal Fest has been a staple at the border of North Tonawanda and the City of Tonawanda for decades, but questions remain on if the City of Tonawanda would be taking part in the festivities.

That question was answered Tuesday when the City of Tonawanda approved a one-year agreement with Canal Fest organizers.

“I’m excited because I get an opportunity to have 180,000 people come into our community and to see what we have to offer,” said City of Tonawanda Mayor John L. White.

“It’s a great time where both Tonawanda’s can come together. Western New York comes together along the canal,” added North Tonawanda Mayor Austin Tylec.

Three of the Council`s five members voted in favor of the one-year agreement.

With it, Canal Fest organizers will reimburse the city $37,000, $2,000 of which will be used for improvements to the Canal Street Pavilion.

Mayor White says the reason it wasn’t approved sooner was due to concerns from his city council on financing, and security and how many of the attractions were on their side of the canal.

“We’ve had the rides and the games of chance for the last 39 out of 40 years. So, where are the kids going to hang out? Where the rides are and where the games of chance are. So, with half of the rides going back to North Tonawanda it makes our footprint a little bit smaller, so I’m hoping that makes a big difference moving forward,” added Mayor White.

This year’s festival will incorporate changes like rides being placed in North Tonawanda along with keeping the Renaissance Bridge open until the morning of the first day for better traffic flow.

North Tonawanda also agreed to a contract with the festival, theirs however runs three years until 2026.

Mayor Tylec echoed the importance of added security for this year and beyond.

“We take it very seriously. We will have undercover police officers we have our SWAT mobilized in a worst-case scenario so we should be all set on our end,” claimed Tylec.

Local organizations and neighbors News 4 spoke with Tuesday say keeping the fest in the city was the best choice.

“It not only brings and helps to bring in tax dollars on an annual basis, but in addition to that, many of the nonprofit organizations in both the city of Tonawanda and North Tonawanda depend on Canal Fest,” said Raymond Schultz.

“This is one of our main events. So, we can raise funds and we can help people in our communities,” concluded Bob Starr, president of the Erie Canal Gateway Lions Club.

The 41st Canal Fest is set to take place this summer beginning July 14-21.

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Dillon Morello is a reporter from Pittsburgh who has been part of the News 4 team since September of 2023. See more of his work here and follow him on Twitter.

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Layoffs coming at Fisher Price HQ in East Aurora, exact number unclear

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — There will be layoffs at the Fisher-Price headquarters in East Aurora, Mattel told News 4 on Tuesday.

Mattel did not disclose the number of employees that will be laid off, but said that some of the employees in East Aurora have been offered other roles in other area of the company.

There will not be a change in the location of the headquarters, which is on Girard Avenue in East Aurora.

The layoffs comes as Fisher-Price is moving some of its business to offices in California, most notably its “preschool” operations. “Fisher-Price-Core,” however, will still be managed in East Aurora.

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Aidan Joly joined the News 4 staff in 2022. He is a graduate of Canisius College. You can see more of his work here.

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Remarkable Women 2024: Joanne Zimmerman gives back with a servant’s heart

PENDLETON, N.Y. (WIVB) — Joanne Zimmerman exemplifies what it means to be a Good Samaritan. The Niagara Falls native is an educator, a woman of faith and a community powerhouse.

“It’s just a love of the community, a love of the people in the community and God,” Zimmerman said. “I just want to keep setting an example for people, what can be done.”

She spent over three decades as an elementary school teacher in the Niagara Falls City School District — laying down the foundation for hundreds of students to carry with them through life.

“I really just felt like it would be an area that I could have an impact on people,” Zimmerman said. “I taught everything but third grade, pretty much. I was involved with several different reading programs over the years. I would be working in the classroom for a while, then I would come out to do a program called ‘Success for All,’ then I would go back into the class and then I was instrumental in starting a program called the Primary Enhancement Program that we started back in about 2008. My last eight years were with the pre-K students at Cataract Elementary School.”

She and her husband, Michael, are high school sweethearts. He joined the U.S. Air Force and Joanne proudly stood by his side as a military wife for 33 years. She was involved with the Key Spouse and Family Readiness Program at the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station—offering support to other military families.

“It’s not just about the logistics of their spouse being away but it’s also just providing them keys to financial direction that they might have, or they need someone to plow the driveway during a snowstorm,” Zimmerman explained. “Things like that, just being a resource for them.”

When Michael retired as chief master sergeant in 2020, Zimmerman organized a patriotic send-off — a memory she’s particularly grateful for.

“Under normal circumstances, there would have been hundreds of women and men there at the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station to say goodbye with well wishes and stories. However, the base was down to a skeleton crew and much of the usual retiree fanfare was suspended,” Zimmerman said. “I knew he was very humble and of course understood. But after 33 years of service in the United States Air Force, I could not let the day go by without some type of recognition.”

Zimmerman thought about what she could do for her husband on the route of his drive home. She invited people from different areas of his life to come out and line the streets along the 14 miles between their home and the airbase.

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“We had his co-workers, friends, Starpoint teachers and administrators, people from the Chapel at Crosspoint, neighbors, high school friends and family members lining the streets. The Sheriff’s Department provided a police escort and a friend from the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station provided the 60-foot flag, displayed from two firetrucks in front of our house,” Zimmerman said. “It turned out to be a beautiful day filled with love and appreciation for a man that truly deserved it.”

Two years later, Zimmerman said goodbye to the classroom. The opportunities to lend a helping hand beyond the realm of school were endless.

“Upon retiring, I just said, ‘God, my yes is on the table. What do you want me to do? Lead me where you want and show me how I can be useful to help other people in my life,” Zimmerman said.

Zimmerman devotes herself to others. She’s one of the founders of Pendleton Farm and Home Days, a two-day festival in the town.

“The whole purpose of the Pendleton Farm and Home Days was to bring together the people, the families, the businesses, the organizations, the churches of Pendleton and all the surrounding areas,” Zimmerman said. “To bring them together and just celebrate, get to know each other and support one another.”

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She also helps with weddings and other events at her church, the Chapel at CrossPoint, and volunteers at the Historic Palace Theatre in Lockport. She’s even turned her hobby of creating themed baskets into auctions for the various organizations she’s part of.

“She, to me, is the epitome of a remarkable woman,” said Liesel Marcantonio, Zimmerman’s daughter. “Even the people that she interacts with in just those singular capacities are being impacted by her, whether it’s the people who knew her as their teacher, or the people who know her through church, or the people who benefit from her kindness and all of these altruistic activities. I get to see all of that at play and that’s just such a huge blessing. I’m just so proud of her for all the ways that she makes a difference.”

And though she’s retired, Zimmerman still makes it a point to give back to young minds. She gives scholarships to students through the Lasalle Senior High School Alumni Association, the College Club of Niagara Falls and the Alpha Delta Kappa (ADK) International Teacher’s Sorority.

“I can’t step away from that, that’s where my heart is,” Zimmerman said. “With the students and the children. So that is one of the things that I enjoy doing.”

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Zimmerman is also the chairperson of ADK’s Altruism Committee. The female educators get together once a month and select an organization in Western New York to collect essential items for.

“We make up a calendar so we know for the whole year who we’ll be donating to,” Zimmerman said. “I’m lucky because I get to be the one to bring it all to these organizations. I’m only one of 40 ladies who are contributing, but I get to see their responses. I get to see the excitement and hear how thrilled they are when they know that we’re giving back to their organization.”

All this hardly begins to scratch the surface of the ways in which Zimmerman gives back. She attributes her instilled goodwill to the resilient women in her life, and even more so, her faith—the faith of a remarkable woman with a servant’s heart.

“Never have I done anything, the deeds that I’ve done, for recognition or praise,” Zimmerman said. “I live my faith through the deeds that I do and I try to set a good example for people and live in a way that reflects that. I just want to keep doing as much as I can to help out in the community for as long as I can.”

“She’s shown me the value of being involved. She lives it every single day. Whenever there’s an opportunity for her to serve somewhere or to encourage someone in the work that they’re already doing, she seizes that opportunity,” Marcantonio said. “I hope she knows just how important she is to me, how valuable she is in my life and just the impact that I’ve gotten to see her have on so many people.”

* * *

Tune into News 4 at 4 every Tuesday throughout March to see a profile of one woman in Western New York who stands out. The local winner of this year’s Remarkable Women campaign will be announced on Tuesday, April 2.

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Jordan Norkus is an award-winning anchor who has been part of the News 4 team since 2021. See more of her work here or follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.

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South Carolina man seeks answers after hotel cancels his stay in WNY during the eclipse

BUFFALO N.Y. (WIVB) – It was about to be a travel nightmare for a South Carolina man who’s planning a trip to Buffalo for the solar eclipse. Days after he booked his stay, the hotel canceled the reservation and rebooking a room was going to cost him hundreds of dollars more.

He reached out the News 4 for help.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I’ve booked tours and all sorts of other events to be able to see the eclipse at Niagara Falls,” Robert Taylor said. “I’ve already got money tied up in this trip.”

Taylor is from Greenville, S.C. and wants to travel to WNY with his mom to watch the solar eclipse.

“You budget for this. I’m trying to take my mom to see it and she’s getting elderly. That’s the main reason we booked this. She asked if we could go,” he said.

On March 18 he booked a room at the Aloft Buffalo Airport on Genesee Street for April 6-10. He paid $636.78.

A few days after his reservation was confirmed he noticed it was canceled.

“I immediately looked on their website to look at what rooms they have available and that’s when I noticed all the rooms were now almost three times more than what I had booked the room for,” he said.

Taylor tried contacting the hotel for an explanation. After not having much luck getting through to someone, he reached out to corporate at the Marriott Bonvoy.

“I got a hold of someone and they informed me, after clicking into the system and looking at what was in the system, it says was that the reservation was canceled and that it was done by the hotel,” he said. “I would have to contact the hotel about why it was canceled.”

He was finally told his reservation was canceled because of an overbooking and there was a glitch in the system.

“I was like ok none of this makes sense or adds up to me. I just want to speak to someone for clarity,” Taylor said.

News 4 called the hotel and after being placed on hold was told no one can comment. About an hour later Taylor received an email that his original reservation was once again confirmed, at the original price.

“It’s kind of a shame it had to come to this but I’m glad they did the right thing,” he said “Hopefully we can all move forward.”

Despite all the stress with booking his stay, Taylor says he’s looking forward to the eclipse, spending time with his mom and visiting Western New York.

“It just kind of gives you the peace of mind, I hope, that we’ll be able to continue the trip,” he said.

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Sarah Minkewicz is an Emmy-nominated reporter and Buffalo native who has been a part of the News 4 team since 2019. Follow Sarah on Twitter @SarahMinkewicz and click here to see more of her work.

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Sweet Jenny’s prepping for busy Easter weekend

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — It’s that time of year to load up on chocolates and sweets to celebrate Easter and America’s favorite bunny. Sweet Jenny’s is one of many local shops preparing for an onslaught of customers this Easter.

“Holidays are a very busy time for chocolate shops,” said owner Howard Cadmus. “There’s a certain time of prep and load up. When you’re getting ready for Valentine’s Day you have one or two days where you are very busy and you’re busy leading up to it. With Easter you start molding a month and a half ahead of time.”

Some sweets are more popular than others. Manager and chocolatier Ellen Loos says milk chocolate is their most popular flavor. Meanwhile, Cadmus claims, “There really is no wrong way to go.”

“Smash eggs are always big, where you smash open the shell of the egg and there’s contents inside, beans, the jellies, our different molded bunnies. Then we have our superhero and geek-type chocolates.”

The store even features chocolate bison for Buffalo pride. Families have an array of options for their Easter baskets this year.

“My favorite part about the shops and what we do is really the families,” Cadmus said. “Everybody’s happy and everybody’s smiling and the kids are happy. I think to me, that’s what’s important.”

Sweet Jenny’s is open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Wednesdays, 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sundays.

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Hope Winter is a reporter and multimedia journalist who has been part of the News 4 team since 2021. See more of her work here.

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Second man sentenced for Amherst home invasion, beating of victim

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — A Depew man was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Monday for a 2022 home invasion in Amherst that left a man in critical condition, the Erie County District Attorney’s Office announced.

Jason K. Evans, 37, was found guilty on two felony charges: burglary in the first degree and robbery in the first degree.

In Oct. 2022, Evans and 34-year-old Mark S. Shadle of Kenmore, forced entry into a home on Bucyrus Drive in the Town of Amherst. After entering the house, the two men tied, threatened, beat and robbed the homeowner, before leaving with a number of items from the home.

A member of the homeowner’s family returned home and called 911, before the victim was taken to ECMC with serious injuries to his head, chest, arms and legs. Severe lacerations were left to the victim’s arms from being tied up.

Evans faces a max of 20 years in prison with another five years of post-release supervision.

A seven-day trial was held in Dec. 2023 where a jury took just two hours of deliberation to find both Shadle and Evans guilty.

Shadle was sentenced in February on a persistent violent felony offender and will face 23 years to life in prison.

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1 dead, 2 hospitalized after fire in Niagara Falls

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — One person is dead and another two people were hospitalized following an early Tuesday morning fire in Niagara Falls, the Niagara Falls Fire Department announced.

Fire crews responded to a house fire around 2:20 a.m. at 1628 8th St., where two males sustained leg injuries from jumping out of a second-floor window, officials said. They both were taken to ECMC for treatment.

Crews later recovered a third male individual who was pronounced dead on the scene, according to officials.

Officials said the names and ages of the victims are not yet known and that the fire is under investigation.

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Adam Gorski is a Buffalo native who joined the News 4 team in 2022. You can find more of his work here.

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Man charged with attempted murder of police officer in Allegany County

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — A man was arrested Sunday in Allegany County after he allegedly fired a weapon near police while committing a burglary and stole a vehicle at gunpoint, New York State Police announced.

Police said they responded around 2 p.m. to a report of a burglary on State Route 275 in the Town of Wirt. Authorities contacted the homeowner, who was in Florida, and confirmed no one had permission to be on the property.

Troopers eventually encountered 40-year-old Jonathan T. Russell, of no known address, who was allegedly inside a detached garage on the property after police identified footprints in the snow, according to police. Russell allegedly refused to exit the garage but was communicating with police.

Police received permission to use forced entry and upon entering the garage, Russell allegedly fired a single gunshot, officials said. Russell is alleged to have fled into the woods as troopers set up a perimeter.

The weapon Russell allegedly used to fire at police. Photo: New York State Police

Police said Russell was later observed on County Route 8 after he allegedly stole a vehicle at gunpoint, and he was forced to park the vehicle by troopers. He allegedly fled into a wooded area after stopping before being taken into custody.

Russell was charged with:

Three counts of attempted murder of a police officer

Two counts of attempted murder

One count of first-degree robbery

One count of third-degree burglary

One count of criminal use of a firearm

One count of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon

One count of first-degree reckless endangerment

One count of second-degree assault

One count of resisting arrest and obstruction of governmental administration

Russell was arraigned and remanded to the Allegany County Jail without bail. He is scheduled to return to court Wednesday.

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Adam Gorski is a Buffalo native who joined the News 4 team in 2022. You can find more of his work here.

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Two $50,000-winning Powerball tickets sold in WNY

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Two third-prize-winning Powerball tickets worth $50,000 were sold in Western New York, the New York Lottery announced.

One of the winning tickets for Monday’s drawing was sold at Farm Fresh Market at 2724 Bailey Ave. in Buffalo, while the other was purchased from Wegmans at 370 Orchard Park Rd. in West Seneca.

The Powerball jackpot rose to an estimated $865 million after no one won on Monday night. Each drawing is televised at 10:59 p.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

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Adam Gorski is a Buffalo native who joined the News 4 team in 2022. You can find more of his work here.

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Grammy winner Jon Batiste to perform at UB in May

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Multi-time Grammy-winning artist Jon Batiste will be performing at the University at Buffalo Center for the Arts later this spring.

Batiste will play at UB on Friday, May 10 as part of his “STREAMS: Jon Batiste At The Piano” tour.

The multi-talented singer-songwriter won Album of the Year at the 2022 Grammys for “We Are” and was nominated for the award again in 2023 for his latest work, “World Music Radio.” In total, he has won five Grammys.

In addition to his Grammy success, Batiste also won an Oscar in 2020 for Best Original Score thanks to his work on the soundtrack of the Disney and Pixar film “Soul.”

Tickets for the show go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. Friday. You can purchase them here or in person at the UB Center for the Arts.

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Adam Gorski is a Buffalo native who joined the News 4 team in 2022. You can find more of his work here.

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