SYRACUSE, NY (WSYR-TV) – A couple bursts of solar energy interacting with the Earth’s outer atmosphere could cause northern lights to be viewed over parts of the United States, including Western New York, Friday night, May 10.

This solar energy, called a ‘coronal mass ejection’ or CME, is traveling at more than a million miles an hour and is expected to arrive at the Earth’s atmosphere later Friday afternoon or Friday night.

However, this astronomical show is dependent on our skies being clear.

What are ‘northern lights’ and why do they occur?

The CME comes from active sunspots on the sun’s surface. The cluster of sunspots the current flares started from are the size of 16 Earths!

This solar energy travels through space and then reacts with the Earth’s upper atmosphere. Electrons and protons in this part of the atmosphere become ‘excited’ and the result are the colors that make up the northern lights in the sky.

How unusual could Friday night’s show be?

There are actually a series of CMEs that are traveling toward the Earth in the next couple of days, and that has prompted the Space Weather Prediction Center to issue its first ‘Severe’ G4 Magnetic Storm Watch since 2005.

A storm of this magnitude is not only strong enough to allow viewing of northern lights in the northern parts of the United States, like Western New York, but possibly as far south as northern California and Alabama!

WSYR is a Nexstar contributor in Syracuse.

BATAVIA, N.Y. (WIVB) — A bear was spotted in Batavia, but police say it’s no cause for alarm.

Batavia police shared a Ring security video of the animal walking through a yard on Vine Street.

If you happen to see one, Batavia police say you should not approach it. Instead, secure your garbage and recycling, and make sure food and pet food aren’t left in places where bears can easily reach them.

Batavia police also encouraged people to remove bird feeders if they spot a bear in their yard.

DEC | Find more tips for living among bears here

Watch the video posted by the Batavia Police Department below.

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — The National Labor Relations Board has filed a complaint against the Tesla facility in South Buffalo, accusing the automotive company of using strategies to keep employees from unionizing.

The complaint, which was filed in February by the board’s regional director, accuses Tesla of using an unlawful policy for using technology in the workplace. The complaint says that includes restricting technology use, such as email and sharing content, to “business purposes only.”

The organization says that policy takes power away from employees so they can’t form, join, or help a union.

Tesla is already set to lay off hundreds of its employees at the South Buffalo plant. In April, it filed a notice stating its intentions to lay off nearly 300 employees. In a second notice filed last week, it stated that it planned to lay off another 26 employees. Those layoffs come as the company plans to lay off around 10% of its workforce. Between the two notices, the 311 total employees Tesla plans to lay off is just over 15% of its Buffalo workforce.

If the parties are unable to settle this new complaint, they will have to stand before an NLRB administrative law judge in July.

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) – An Erie County legislator is requesting an investigation into the death of an inmate from water intoxication that was first reported by News 4 Investigates, two months ago.

That inmate died last year. Erie County legislator April Baskin says that water intoxication death is “troubling” and wants the county Corrections Specialist Advisory Board to investigate the death. The board is supposed to provide oversight on county jails.

Last year, William Hager, died from consuming too much water while being held in the Erie County Correctional Facility in Alden.

Legislator Baskin, who for years has been critical of the sheriff’s Jail Management Division, has sent a letter to the advisory board requesting that the board ask for a meeting with the Superintendent of the Jail Management Division to learn more about Hager’s death.

Baskin says she’s not prepared to publicly discuss the letter — telling News 4 that she’s waiting for a response from the advisory board.

A local activist group is reacting to Baskin’s request for an investigation.

“I think she’s been misled in terms of her expectations of the Correction Specialist Advisory Board, I think currently as they exist, it’s a sham they don’t do anything other than rubble stamp or whatever is that the superintendent and jail management says” said Baba Eng, program director of Prisoners Are People Too.

Baskin is also raising questions about an inmate death in 2021 — the letter states she received a state report about the death of an inmate by the name of James Ellis who died from stomach cancer, but “never received the proper care.”

“The medical at the holding center, the mental health at the holding center all of it comes under the sheriff’s control, the sheriff controls all of that and none of them are acting according to law they’re not doing their job,” Eng said.

In our interview with the Sheriff’s Office, officials declined to comment citing pending litigation, but spoke in general terms about the reforms the Sheriff’s Office has made such as launching a body cam program for corrections officers, and that the Sheriff’s Office continues to focus on mental health and rehab. ECSO now says that after a review no policies or standards of care were broken.

But it appears the county Corrections Board has been inactive for years. Their website says their last meeting was April 24 but there’s no minutes of any of their meetings. The next Corrections Advisory Board meeting is May 28.

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — In a typical forecast, you often hear or see the words “probability of precipitation.” This value is given as a percentage. Although this value is frequently seen and used, there is often confusion on what it truly means in a forecast.

Misconceptions about the meaning of the phrase range from the area of coverage to the confidence of precipitation occurring, or even how intense the precipitation could be. The actual meaning is defined as the likelihood of occurrence (expressed as a percent) of a measurable amount of liquid precipitation (or the water equivalent of frozen precipitation) during a specified period of time at any given point in the forecast area. Measurable precipitation is equal to or greater than 0.01 inches.

On Thursday, May 9, the probability of precipitation increases for the point location of Buffalo. The percentage increase through the 12-hour period represents the likelihood also rising at the specified times.

Now, the probability of precipitation is a percentage value, so what does each percentage mean in terms of likelihood?

10% means isolated or few areas of precipitation.

There is a slight chance for precipitation when 20% is used, and it represents the likelihood of precipitation being widely scattered.

It becomes a chance for precipitation when the value is 30%, 40% or 50%, which represents scattered showers.

When a value is listed as 60% or 70%, the precipitation is categorized as likely with numerous areas of precipitation being forecasted.

As the value gets higher, a percentage of 80%, 90% or 100% means a period of precipitation, on and off, or occasional precipitation is expected.

As the percentage increases, so does the likelihood of the precipitation at a specified time.

Here is another perspective on this topic. A 20% value is a 1 in 5 chance you will see 0.01″ of precipitation at your location in a set period of time. On the higher end of things, a 100% indicates that you will receive precipitation at some point that may last the whole time period or just an individual window of time.

Keep this in mind the next time you see a chance for rain!

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — A Fredonia man pleaded guilty to selling drugs that led to the overdose death in January 2022, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said Thursday.

John Wallace Buchanan, 37, admitted to selling the drugs. Authorities said that Buchanan sold heroin, which he admitted often contained fentanyl and methamphetamine.

On Jan. 7, 2022, Buchanan sold meth and an opioid to a man identified as “B.G.” The next day, the person sent Buchanan a message saying “that stuff is strong.” Two days later on Jan. 10, police were called to B.G.’s residence in Celoron, where he had died from an overdose.

Buchanan used social media to conduct drug trafficking activities and also engage in unlawful firearm activities.

He pleaded guilty to one count of narcotics conspiracy. A sentencing has not yet been scheduled, but he will face up to 20 years in prison when sentenced.

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Two people have been indicted on several charges in connection to allegedly kidnapping a 77-year-old earlier this year, the Niagara County District Attorney’s Office said Thursday.

Niagara resident Gregory Perry, 31, and Niagara Falls resident Ashley McMillen, 35, are accused of kidnapping and robbing 77-year-old Rodney Haynes, Sr., who was first reported missing on March 26.

Perry is charged with first-degree kidnapping, second-degree robbery, aggravated criminal contempt and endangering the welfare of a child. He is also charged with an additional count of second-degree criminal contempt in connection to an alleged incident with the same victim on July 29, 2023. In addition, he is charged with fourth-degree tampering with a witness and second-degree criminal contempt for an alleged incident that took place on April 10.

McMillen is charged with first-degree kidnapping, second-degree robbery and endangering the welfare of a child.

Perry was remanded to the Niagara County Jail. Bail was set at $100,000 cash, $200,000 bond and $1 million partially secured for McMillen.

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — A Cheektowaga man has been charged in connection with a fatal shooting on Buffalo’s East Side last month, Buffalo police said Thursday.

Officials said Timé Thomas, 30, has been charged with second-degree murder in connection.

The shooting allegedly took place at Young and Ashley Streets around 8:50 p.m. on April 26, where officers found the victim, 31-year-old Quentin Sims of Buffalo, with multiple gunshot wounds. He was declared dead at the scene.

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