Category: PostNews

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Ten people were killed and three others suffered non-life-threatening injuries after a mass shooting at the Tops Markets on Jefferson Avenue in Buffalo.

View photos from the scene in the gallery below.

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Multiple people have been struck in a mass shooting at the Tops Markets on Jefferson Avenue and the shooter is in custody, according to Buffalo Police.

The conditions of those shot are not known at this time. Drivers are asked to avoid the area.

Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz first tweeted confirming the shooting: “I have been advised of an active multiple shooting event at the Tops Markets on Jefferson Street in Buffalo. Police are on scene. Please stay away from the area.”

New York State Governor Kathy Hochul tweeted saying she’s monitoring the situation and has offered assistance to local law enforcement.

“I am closely monitoring the shooting at a grocery store in Buffalo,” Governor Hochul said. “We have offered assistance to local officials. If you are in Buffalo, please avoid the area and follow guidance from law enforcement and local officials.”

The Erie County Sheriff’s office tweeted this statement:

“The Erie County Sheriff’s Office wishes to pass along its condolences to the family and friends of [today’s] shooting. Sheriff Garcia has ordered all available resources and personnel to assist the @BPDAlerts.”

News 4 Reporter Marlee Tuskes

News 4 crews are at the scene.

This is a breaking news story, check back for updates.

By Veronica Golden

As an African-American woman who is a NYS Licensed Social Worker it is no coincidence to me that Mother’s Day and Mental Health Awareness Day fall in the same month: May. Both mothers and mental health awareness give birth. One gives birth to babies who give the world its population. The other gives birth to healing which can transform generations.

Both mothers and mental health awareness are often underestimated. Mothers lack physical strength (generally speaking) over men but compensate in their magnitude to nurture. Professionals specializing in mental health are white-collar workers who generally are under-compensated despite their impact being essential to society functioning. 

Everyone has had a difficult time the last couple of years because of the pandemic. However, mothers and professionals specializing in mental health have had it the worst. Childcare and women’s health were issues before the pandemic. However, during the pandemic, tough choices for single mothers had to be made like “Do I continue to work?” or “Do I quit my job to stay home and watch my child because schools are closed?” 

Also, the joy of the birthing experience was scaled back due to limited support being able to be in the delivery room and visit the new baby & mother. Professionals specializing in mental health had to comfort and help people cope while navigating unchartered times in our nation’s history. There was a significant increase in depression and anxiety because of the isolation and uncertainty surrounding coronavirus.  

In summary, both mothers and mental health are very important to the stabilization of society. Show extra love & appreciation to your mom and your mind this month! Flowers, chocolates, and spa time are generously accepted. 

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — A body was recovered from the Niagara River Saturday morning near Austin Street, a member of Buffalo Fire told News 4.

The United States Coast Guard assisted in the recovery and the Buffalo Police homicide squad was also on the scene.

Information about the person recovered is not yet known.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

By Vicki Ross

Come join us Sunday, May 15 (1-3p.m.), to celebrate Victorious Women’s Month with a march and gathering that will foster universal Solidarity, rejoice in our Victories, and foster real Healing in ourselves and our community. 

We’ll meet on Niagara Street at the intersection with Lafayette (please aim for 12:45p.m.) and march down Niagara (starting 1pm) to the foot of Ferry.  We’ll gather in Broderick Park with speakers, performers, and a family area – all we need to celebrate, acknowledge, and validate wonderful victorious women in our community. We’ll also explore the vast and brewing injustices in our society – thus the need for Solidarity and Victory; as well as our paths to Victory and Healing. 

Women – and all in our community – are in need of Solidarity, Victory, and Healing!! 

 Local sheros who’ll speak include Gail Wells, Cariol Horne, Betty Jean Grant, Gamileh Jamil, Talia Rodriguez, and many more, with spoken word and musical offerings interspersed. Children and youth will share projects, including PeaceJam Buffalo, and families are encouraged to enjoy the special Family Area. We’ll also start with a traditional Gnonyoh – Thanks-giving – from Jill Clause, Tuscarora. 

The WNY Peace Center has organized the Women’s March since 2017, when 3600-4000 gathered in Niagara Square. The following year we had almost 5,000; then a blizzard cancellation followed by two years of 65mph galeforce winds – with hundreds still coming out!! We also held a Women’s March in 10/20 (with physical distancing), and a virtual march in 1/21 due to the Covid. This year Executive Director Deidra EmEl opted to celebrate during Victorious Women’s Month, the month of May –  a great improvement. Each year the principles and the Spirit shine brighter.

Our mission statement, arrived by consensus of women community leaders in WNY, states: “The Women’s March of WNY, opposed to all forms of oppression, seeks to increase equity and equality for women and all oppressed people. We seek structural and systematic changes to our government and organizations in order to guarantee that all women have proper access to healthcare and are free from violence and hate. We believe this regardless of a person’s racial, economic, or citizenship status; and we value the dignity and humanity of women of color, women with disabilities, and lgbt/queer and gender non-conforming people, and everyone’s equal place in the movement and in society.”

For those for whom marching is not an option, please enter Broderick Park by 12:30p.m.. For marchers, if you can’t find parking near the starting point, additional parking is available on side streets and on Ferry if need be. 

For more info go to wnypeace.org; our Facebook/event page; bit.ly/WMwny2022; or email womensmarch@wnypeace.org

Please join organizer the WNY Peace Center, host Riverside Salem Environmental Cottage, and our many cosponsors, including Bury The Violence, Citizen Action WNY, Coalition for Economic Justice, Indigenous Women’s Initiatives, Nekanehsakt: Friends of the Ekwehewe, Partnership for the Public Good, PUSH Buffalo, Stitch Buffalo, We Are Women Warriors, We Exist Coalition, WNY Drilling Defense, and more. Our Solidarity, Victory, and Healing will fortify our community!!

pictured above :YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS HONORED: Left to right, Olivia “Libby” Brooks, Riya Michelle, Kevin “Wavykid Kev” Northington, Brenton “BJ” White   and EMPower716 Talk Show host, certified life and leadership coach Robert Lowery.

EMPower716 Talk Show recently honored four young, talented entrepreneurs from western New York to complete its second season of equipping startup leaders and business owners with tools and resources for success. The live interview with all four honorees was   featured on   May 9 at 5pm.

This acknowledgment is part of the podcast’s Young Entrepreneurs Recognition program. It awards $500 to an entrepreneur every month who’s 21 years old or younger, offering a value-driven product or service, and taking steps to become a business owner.

“I am extremely proud of all the great work each honoree has accomplished and continues to do in their business and life,” says EMPower716 Talk Show host Robert Lowery.

The list of honorees includes the following:

•Brenton “BJ” White:  This 7-year-old is the founder of BuildingwithBJ , a community that empowers young boys to be brave, foster unity, share intelligence, show love, and dream big.

•Olivia “Libby” Brooks: The creator and owner of Libby’s Lemonade Stand, this 12-year-old female entrepreneur provides fresh lemonade and fruit and veggie blends.

•Riya Michelle:  This 18-year-old is the founder of Cocoa Cosmetics, a women-owned beauty brand that offers high-quality, handmade, cruelty-free, and vegan products that are affordable and suitable for all skin types, tones, and textures.

•Kevin “Wavykid Kev” Northington: A licensed barber and social media influencer, Kevin is a 19-year-old who cuts hair in his community and inspires kids who want to achieve great things like him.

“Honoring these young entrepreneurs is another step EMPower716 Talk Show is taking to uplift business owners, especially those who are people of color. When starting a business, minorities face significant disadvantages like unequal access to credit and difficulty paying operating expenses,” Lowery continued.

“Young entrepreneurs see the obstacles that older business owners in their community face. However, supporting their companies and entrepreneurial spirits helps them gain confidence to successfully push past common obstacles.”

EMPower716 Talk Show welcomes others to join its mission of supporting young entrepreneurs’ growth and business success. Corporations and individuals can help promote up-and-coming business owners by reaching out to get involved in the Young Entrepreneurs Recognition Program.

This initiative has helped previous honorees increase their awareness, credibility, and trust. With the support of corporations and individuals, young entrepreneurs who are honored by the program in the future will see even greater success.

About EMPower716 Talk Show: EMPower716 Talk Show is hosted by certified life and leadership coach Robert Lowery. It features live interviews with entrepreneurs and business owners and airs online weekly. It’s also available on audio podcast platforms such as Apple, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and Google  you can also find on Facebook 

The Board of Directors of BestSelf Behavioral Health announced as of May 1, 2022, the agency has received full approval from New York State for Renaissance Addiction Services, Inc. (RASI) to join BestSelf.

The program, now referred to as Renaissance Addiction Services at BestSelf, is a residential treatment facility helping young people from early teens up to age 24 recover from substance use disorders.

“We made this exciting partnership announcement earlier this year, and now we are officially welcoming the RASI team into our organization,” said Elizabeth Woike-Ganga, LCSW-R, President and Chief Executive Officer of BestSelf Behavioral Health. “Our strategy is to continue to focus on building successful collaborations and partnerships like this one so that we become stronger together.”  

“On behalf of the BestSelf Behavioral Health Board of Directors, we officially welcome the RASI team,” stated Ellen T. Bieler, Chairperson, BestSelf Behavioral Health. “The services both organizations provide are vital and will only continue to grow stronger with this natural partnership.”

Jodie Altman, formerly of RASI will oversee the program as Director of Residential Treatment for BestSelf.

Kids Escaping Drugs, who owns the Renaissance Campus, will remain a separate nonprofit and work closely with BestSelf, who will lease the buildings to continue to provide this vital service to the community.

 

 

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Baby formula is the latest hard-to-find product flying off store shelves after supply chain problems and contaminated product forced one of the largest U.S.-based manufacturers to close earlier this year.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States is no stranger to product shortages, but this product is absolutely vital for newborns. The shortage is being felt across Western New York. Parents say they have been searching for formula and they are willing to drive to get it.

What caused the baby formula shortage?

“I just got the last two cans that are similar to the formula that she’s been on at the Target in Depew last night,” Amherst resident Caitlin Hoekstra said.

The Hoekstra family is trying to make it through the national crisis until their 9-month-old, Gabby, is old enough to drink regular milk. Now, most store shelves are empty, and online retailers are out of stock.

“It’s definitely scary, and she loves to eat, so we are trying to keep her fed for the next few months,” Hoekstra added.

Lactation specialist Polly Thoman said parents have a few options to feed their little ones, including breast feeding, using social media to find new, unopened formula or the New York Milk Bank, which requires a prescription from a pediatrician.

“They take donations from mothers who are breast feeding and have extra breast milk,” Thoman said. “Those mothers are screened and they go through a bloodwork process to make sure they are healthy.”

Thoman added that parents should not try to make formula themselves because it could be dangerous for newborns.

“Evaporated milk, which is cow’s milk, may be really hard on your newborns liver and kidneys and the protein allergies that could happen,” Thoman continued.

Pediatricians warn of homemade baby formula dangers amid shortages

One local legislator is trying to use Erie County’s power to get a stockpile in the area. Similar to what happened during the PPE shortage, Minority Leader Joe Lorigo is collaborating with other county officials to provide formula at cost to parents.

“There is no reason that parents or caregivers should struggle finding basic nutritional needs for their children,” Legislator Lorigo said.

Talking with a doctor may be the best way to find the right course of action for families with children.

“As parents, it’s always one more thing,” David Hoekstra said. “Even with this pandemic, you have no other option but to just endure.”

Federal baby formula help website launched amid shortage

The Federal Government said it expects this shortage to last at least another two weeks. They are hoping to stock store shelves by the end of the month.

FORT KNOX, Ky. (WETM) — The remains of a soldier from Buffalo killed during the Korean War are to be buried in Elmira this month after going unidentified for nearly 70 years.

Buffalo native and Army Cpl. Robert C. Agard Jr. was a member of the 2nd Platoon, 24th Reconnaissance Company, 24th Infantry Division when he was reported missing in action on July 19, 1950, at the age of 19. At the time he was conducting a night recon patrol with his unit near Taejon, South Korea. He was reportedly never found, nor were any of the remains recovered identified as Agard, and in January of 1956, he was declared non-recoverable.

In December of 1950, Agard’s remains were unofficially located but were designated ‘Unknown X-311 Taejon,’ as they were unidentifiable at the time. The remains were found near Dawbyeol-dong, a village near Taejon, along with the remains of two members of Agard’s unit.

Oishei doctor treats baby boy with mysterious hepatitis condition

The remains of X-311 were unable to be identified and were transported with all of the unidentified Korean War remains and buried as unknowns at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu.

On June 10, 2019, X-311 was brought up from the unknown grave as part of the Korean War Identification Project. The remains were transferred to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Laboratory at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii.

Agard’s remains were officially identified on September 29, 2020, using circumstantial evidence, along with dental, anthropological and mitochondrial DNA analysis.

Agard’s remains are set to be buried on May 27, at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Elmira.

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — It’s been three years since girls were welcomed to join Scouts BSA, formerly known known as the Boy Scouts.

Now, some of those girls are Eagle Scouts, and others are close to earning the prestigious designation, including Jeanetta Lewis.

“My younger self would probably just stare at me in confusion and ask, ‘How?'” Lewis said.

She watched her brothers grow up in Scouts. For as long as she can remember, she wanted to be part of it.

“I wanted to learn all the skills they were learning, I wanted to do all the things they were doing.”

Turns out, Lewis wasn’t the only one. Gabby Wild. Falcon O’Donnell, Eva Peters and Ava Romeo also watched brothers excel in the program.

All five never felt Girl Scouts was a good fit.

At the beginning of 2019, Scouts BSA announced it would be allowing girls to join. For these girls, it was a long time coming.

“My younger brother joined as a Lion and my dad said I could do it ’cause they just opened it up, so I went to one of his meetings, and I found it kind of cool,” Wild said.

“I always wanted and hoped someday I could do it and stuff like that, it always seemed like a lot fun,” Peters added.

“I learned girls were allowed into the scouting program and I’m like, ‘Finally!'” Romeo said.

While Wild joined later, the other four girls have been together since the beginning, led by Scoutmaster Leah Romeo. Scouting has been a family tradition for all three of her children, and she said Scouts BSA was by far the best fit.

“When I heard what the structure of the BSA was gonna be where the girls would have their own leadership and the boys were gonna have their own leadership, and then they would just work together, that was impressive,” she said. “So it made me much more comfortable that everybody was gonna have equal opportunity.”

The troop goes on campouts and the girls have earned lots of merit badges. They support each other as individuals, but do everything as a group.

“I’m really proud of us as a troop, and how far we’ve come, and how we’re so diligent in our work and how we can make things work for us in the toughest times,” O’Donnell said. “All of these experiences have bonded us closer together as a group and it’s been very beneficial I think for all of us to learn from each other.”

In 2020, O’Donnell became the first female Eagle Scout in Erie County.

“Everyone was saying, ‘Oh this is a really great achievement, you’re the first girl in all of the Greater Niagara Frontier Council.’ And I’m like, ‘That means something to me, but probably doesn’t mean as much as it should,’ and I’ll probably look back on it when I’m older and I’ll be like, ‘Wow I did that.'”

The other girls are close behind, many of them just months away from becoming Eagle Scouts themselves.

“It’s always been something that excited me, so the prospect of actually being this close to it makes me feel happy whenever I think about it, and I feel it’ll make me proud of myself to know that I managed to become an Eagle Scout,” Lewis said.

Ava Romeo spoke to the feeling of achieving what her older brother had.

“I was always trying to be as good as my big brother, ’cause I was always wanting to earn every merit badge and get the highest rank and stuff in the other programs, just like him, ’cause I wanted to be at least as good as him,” she said. “I feel really good.”

Scoutmaster Romeo said this experience shows there’s a good and balanced way for everybody to be equal. She said while everyone will approach the program differently, they’ll all have the same opportunity and said it’s a good example for society.

“I hope to see that people have choices and the girls have opportunities in lots of different places — and ironically — it was with the Boys Scouts of America that they got this cool opportunity to be equal and do a program they didn’t have access to before.”

The girls agree: it was the best decision they ever made.

“I hope one day its not just male-dominated, it’s not ‘Girls are joining the boys,’ it’s that it’s actually equal-equal.”

The Greater Niagara Frontier Council registered 223 girls by the end of last year. They say interest from local girls is only continuing to grow.

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