Categories
PostNews

Bisons’ Tuesday game postponed by a day due to rain

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — There will be no baseball at Sahlen Field on Tuesday, as the Bisons game has been rained out.

On Tuesday morning, the team announced that the School Kids Day Game against the Worcester Red Sox will be postponed by a day.

So, Wednesday will now feature a single-admission double header. This means that people with tickets originally intended for one game on Wednesday can now see both. The first of two seven-inning contests will start at 5:30 p.m., with gates opening at 5 p.m.

Those who had tickets for Tuesday can exchange them for any comparable ticket to a future Bisons game this season, other than the Fourth of July. Ticket exchanges, which can take place throughout the remainder of the season, must happen via the Sahlen Field Box Office.

Along with this, school kids who were planning to be at Sahlen Field on Tuesday will get vouchers for two additional tickets to a future game of their choice. Those vouchers will be sent to schools for distribution.

Latest Posts

Time now for Dems to worry about Fetterman? No, most say; ‘late June, going into July’ if he still can’t campaign
Email shows fake Trump electors in Georgia told to conduct plan in ‘secrecy’
Man accused of faking own death faces extradition hearing
Whitfield prepares for Capitol Hill testimony
NY sees highest average gas price yet

Evan Anstey is an Associated Press Award and Emmy-nominated digital producer who has been part of the News 4 team since 2015. See more of his work here and follow him on Twitter.

Categories
PostNews

SPCA Monday: Lolita the Cat

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — As News 4 continues to help animals find their fur-ever homes, Bethany Kloc of the SPCA Serving Erie County joined News 4 at 12 to showcase another one of the animals in the organization’s care.

Kloc brought Lolita, a 13-year-old cat, to the studio Tuesday. According to Kloc, Lolita is very friendly and enjoys the company of people. Her adoption fee has been paid for.

To hear more about Lolita, watch the video above. For more information, click here. To adopt a pet from the SPCA, visit the organization’s website or call (716) 875-7360.

Categories
PostNews

Benny the Butcher releases song about Buffalo mass shooting, racism, government inaction

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Buffalo rapper Benny the Butcher released a song Monday speaking on the May 14 white supremacist mass shooting at the Jefferson Avenue Tops Markets location on the city’s East Side.

The song, titled, ‘Welcome to the States,’ addresses the shooting and hateful ideologies in the United States, as Benny the Butcher raps over the beat to Kendrick Lamar’s ‘We Cry Together.’ He talks about how his travels abroad have given him a new perspective on his home country.

“Mass shooting in my city, eight minutes from where my block at,” Benny raps. “Saw innocent people shot at a supermarket I shop at.”

The video accompanying the song begins with its own message, regarding the number of mass shootings in the United States in 2022.

Through June 1st there have been at least 233 mass shootings incidents in 2022 in the United States. This means that the US has recorded more mass shootings than there have been days in 2022, so far…

One of those mass shootings occurred in Buffalo, New York on May 14th at a Tops Friendly Markets store in Buffalo’s East Side neighborhood. Ten people were killed that day. All ten were African-American.”

“Welcome to the States” music video

The video shows imagery of malls and supermarkets — including Tops — as Benny raps about worrying about mass shootings while shopping. He also speaks to the shooter’s life being spared following the incident, alleging that if the shooter was Black, he would have been killed on-scene. “I guess great, a life saved, but it’s never this color face,” he raps.

In the song, Benny also called out “fake GoFundMe accounts,” which he spoke on further in an Instagram post Monday afternoon. He said a friend of his, the son of one of the victims of the shooting, has not yet received any of the funds donated. In response, Benny included a link to purchase a “Pray for Buffalo” t-shirt, with all proceeds going to the Buffalo 5-14 Survivors Fund, which was also linked in the full video.

“Purchase a shirt by goin to the link in bio and kno the money goin where it needs to go,” he said in the post.

The track concludes with a clip of President Biden addressing the shooting on May 15, as he declared it was being investigated as a hate crime, denouncing the “racially motivated act of white supremacy and violent extremism.”

Adam Duke is a digital producer who has been part of the News 4 team since 2021. See more of his work here.

Categories
PostNews

“The common ground is very small.”: NY lawmakers head back to D.C. to vote on new gun laws

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Members of the House and Senate are heading back to Washington to potentially vote on a new set of gun reform laws. Before traveling back to the Capitol, however, Rep. Brian Higgins and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand were in Buffalo. Both said there needs to be stronger gun laws to prevent future mass shootings.

“If you want to stop killing, you got to stop the killer, and you and take that very powerful weapon,” Rep. Higgins said Monday.

Two bipartisan committees are working on new gun legislation that could include expanded background checks, additional mental health resources, strengthening Red Flag laws, and/or a ban on certain weapons. These conversations come in the wake of several mass shootings, including the racially motivated attack at the Tops on Jefferson Ave. that killed 10 people and injured three others. There have been other mass shootings since the Tops attack, including one at an elementary school in Texas that killed 19 students and two teachers.

Before testifying in Washington, Zeneta Everhart plans to deliver message on gun reform and education

Sen. Gillibrand said that assault weapons are weapons of war, that military members spend years training in order to use them in combat.

“They’re designed solely for one thing: to win wars,” Sen. Gillibrand said. “They should never be used by civilians, period.”

In order for new gun legislation to pass, leaders say they need to find common ground — and the margin for that is paper thin.

“The common ground is very small. It’s maybe some changes to Red Flag laws,” Sen. Gillibrand added. “Some restrictions on who gets to buy assault weapons, maybe. A little improvement to background checks. Maybe a gun trafficking bill.”

She continued to explain that stricter measures, like banning assault weapons outright, is unlikely because of the filibuster.

“If we are actually serious about finding common ground and finding consensus, those sorts of things will stand no chance of passing the Senate,” Sen. John Cornyn said on the Senate floor.

Sen. Cornyn, a Republican from Texas, questions strict gun laws and says those are unlikely to pass.

“Strengthening mental health, bolstering school security, keeping guns out of the hands of people who are already legally prohibited from having them,” Sen. Cornyn said. “I think a lot of our colleagues could get behind those provisions.”

Gov. Hochul signs stricter gun control legislation

Democrats disagree, and say just strengthening Red Flag laws will not solve the problem.

“The problem is, in this case in Buffalo, didn’t work. There was an incident last year. That should have been a red flag,” Rep. Higgins said.

As lawmakers continue to negotiate, the local business community in Western New York is standing up and calling for Congress to renew the assault weapons ban that expired in 2004. This ban prevented the sale of semi-automatic weapons, such as an AR-15, which was used in both the shooting at Tops and in Uvalde, TX.

“While gun control may not be a typical lane for chambers of commerce, there is no avoiding the impact gun violence is having on our country and on our communities,” Dottie Gallagher, president and CEO of the Buffalo Niagara Partnership, said. “We have an obligation to be part of solving this American problem,”

Several people from Buffalo are making the trip to the nation’s Capitol to testify before both the Senate and the House, including Former Buffalo Fire Commissioner Garnell Whitfield, the son of Ruth Whitfield who was killed at Tops, Zeneta Everhart, the mother of Zaire Goodman, who was injured, but survived the attack, and Buffalo Police Commissioner Joe Gramaglia.

Tara Lynch is a Buffalo native who joined the News 4 team as a reporter in 2022. She previously worked at WETM in Elmira, N.Y., a sister station of News 4. You can follow Tara on Facebook and Twitter and find more of her work here.

Categories
PostNews

Students create mural showcasing local small businesses

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Those traveling along to Larkin Square may notice some familiar faces.

On Monday, Lafayette International High School seniors got a chance to highlight a variety of local small businesses. As part of their senior English capstone, students researched the local business of their choice, to learn what it takes to turn their dreams into reality, and how these businesses impact the community.

“We are showing the hard work to people and learning from them,” said senior Wael Abdulma. “From how to open a business and to see what they are doing, and to do the same as they’re doing to help the community and make Buffalo a better place to live.”

More than 45 small, local businesses were involved in the project, ranging from student’s family’s businesses to local franchises.

The mural displays the faces behind the Agents of Change project — from the students involved, to the business owners themselves.

“You can have voice through art, that it’s not just the classroom that our work can be seen in the community.” said English teacher Melissa Meola Shanahan. “To be really a change agent to know that what you do matters to our community and that’s the point of this project.”

Sadia Usmia, a senior who plans to attend the University of Buffalo for pharmacy, said the skills she learned through this project will help her in the future.

“It’s been really helpful,” Usmia said. “I am hoping to have my own pharmacy in the future.”

The mural is just part of the student’s showcase project. Agents of Change allows students to collaborate with Just Buffalo Literary Center and Torn Space, presenting the interviews with each business this Saturday at the Torn Space Theater. To reserve a spot at this performance, go to Torn Space Theater’s website.

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.

Categories
PostNews

Planned Parenthood of Central and Western New York moves to new Buffalo location

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Planned Parenthood of Central and Western New York announced Monday that it has completed a relocation, modernization and expansion project in Buffalo.

The new health center, a state-of-the-art facility at 60 E. Amherst St. will enable Planned Parenthood to provide care to more patients in Western New York.

According to PPCWNY, services at the location will include cancer detection, diabetes and hypertension screening, identification and treatment of STIs, birth control and family planning, abortion, HIV PrEP, gender-affirming hormone care, and more.

Planned Parenthood also said that with anticipated restrictions on family planning and abortion access in neighboring states, it is likely that the provider will see a significant increase in patient volume at the new location. The facility will reportedly be nearly double the size of the former location, and will allow accommodation of these out-of-state patients, while continuing to allow service to PPCWNY’s current patient base.

“PPCWNY’s mission to provide and expand essential reproductive and sexual health care services to the communities we serve is more important than ever,” said Michelle Casey, president and CEO of PPCWNY. “We are so proud of this new facility and are excited to welcome patients to this space.”

Adam Duke is a digital producer who has been part of the News 4 team since 2021. See more of his work here.

Categories
PostNews

New York business groups urge federal action on gun control

ALBANY, N.Y. (Spectrum News 1) — A coalition of business organizations in New York on Monday called for federal action on gun control legislation following a string of mass shootings across the country.

The backing of federal legislation from the Business Council of New York State, the Buffalo Niagara Partnership, the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce and the Business Council of Westchester also comes as Gov. Kathy Hochul signed new measures into law that, among other provisions, require licensing of semiautomatic rifles in the state.

The nation continues to reel from the mass shootings at a supermarket in Buffalo and an elementary school in Texas. New York was the first state to approve a package of gun control measures, but Congress is yet to take action.

The post New York business groups urge federal action on gun control appeared first on Buffalo Niagara Partnership.

Categories
PostNews

Buffalo man convicted of killing police officer requesting hearing

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Jonathan Parker has been in prison for more than 25 years after being convicted and sentenced to life for killing Officer Charles “Skip” McDougald.

Now, two witnesses who testified they saw Parker near the area where shots were fired are saying they never actually saw him.

Parker’s new defense team submitted a 440 motion to grant Parker a new hearing.

They filed for two reasons; the first being the two witnesses recanting their statements.

Secondly, during closing arguments in the 1998 trial Parker’s previous defense attorney said Parker recklessly caused the officer’s murder.

In 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court decided a defense attorney can’t say anything admitting their client’s guilt if their client objects.

VOICE Buffalo is asking people to write letters to District Attorney John Flynn asking him not to oppose the hearing.

“If there is actual evidence that could exonerate and show that Jonathan Parker has lost 25 years of his life unjustly then we must bring that to light and why wouldn’t we want to bring that to light, is my question for the DA’s office,” said Minister Denise Walden, director of organizing for VOICE Buffalo.

Flynn said there was ample evidence to convict Parker back then and nothing has changed.

“Quite frankly, 25 years later two people changing their story has no significance at all on his guilt or innocence and his argument about what his defense lawyer did during closing statement is quite frankly irrelevant,” Flynn said.

He said there was no objection by Parker because the attorney never told him he was going to admit Parker caused the murder.

Flynn said even if there was an objection by Parker, the Supreme Court decision isn’t retroactive, meaning it doesn’t go back to cases from 1998.

Parker’s attorneys aren’t backing down.

“It’s the people standing up and supporting these individuals that allows for this to actually happen and allows for justice to truly prevail,” said attorney Steven Metcalf.

“Jonathan Parker is a convicted cop killer who deserves to spend the rest of his life in jail and I will do everything to ensure he does spend the rest of his life in jail,” Flynn said.

A judge is expected to decide whether or not to grant the hearing Tuesday, June 7 at 10:30 a.m.

Kayla Green is a reporter who has been part of the News 4 team since 2021. See more of her work here.

Categories
PostNews

Niagara Falls Police investigating shooting death of 26-year-old man

NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (WIVB) — Niagara Falls Police are investigating a homicide after a 26-year-old man was shot on LaSalle Avenue, near the intersection of 24th Street, on Saturday night.

Officers responded to Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center Saturday, as the victim was being treated in the Emergency Room. He reportedly arrived at the hospital in a civilian vehicle following the shooting. He was taken to ECMC for further treatment, where he died on Sunday.

The incident remains under investigations and detectives are asking anyone with information to contact the NFPD’s Criminal Investigation Division at (716) 286-4553 or the general information number, (716) 286-4711.

Adam Duke is a digital producer who has been part of the News 4 team since 2021. See more of his work here.

Categories
PostNews

New York chambers of commerce calls for federal ban on assault weapons

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WHAM) — Another call for a federal ban on assault weapons.

This is coming from the Buffalo Niagara Business Partnership and other chambers of commerce from across the state, including the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce, in the wake of the Buffalo mass shooting.

Police say an AR-15 was used in the attack at the Tops Friendly Markets in that city last month.

“The massacre in Buffalo not only underscores the hate festering in some, but the irresponsible and needless access to weapons of war designed to kill as many people as possible as quickly as possible,” said Dottie Gallagher, president and CEO of the Buffalo Niagara Partnership. “As representatives of employers across New York, we have a responsibility to stand up and fight for policies to help keep our places of business, employees, customers, and communities safe.”

The post New York chambers of commerce calls for federal ban on assault weapons appeared first on Buffalo Niagara Partnership.

Generated by Feedzy